SIX seaside towns stand between Felixstowe and silverware in this year's Anglia in Bloom competition.Judges John Pearson and Hazel Law arrived in the resort to see its spectacular and colourful gardens - but having seen some of the competitors already they warned the bar had been raised this year.

SIX seaside towns stand between Felixstowe and silverware in this year's Anglia in Bloom competition.

Judges John Pearson and Hazel Law arrived in the resort to see its spectacular and colourful gardens - but having seen some of the competitors already they warned the bar had been raised this year.

Plus it's not just flowers the judges want to see. They are looking for evidence of councils and communities working together, involvement of the young, and the state of the environment, including litter, graffiti and recycling projects.

Mr Pearson said: “Some communities used to concentrate on their flowers, hanging baskets and beds and so on, but now they realise there is much more involved.

“It is all about the environment, and while the flowers are an important part, the other criteria such as cleanliness and recycling are very important. There have been huge improvements on these issues, too, in the towns we have visited.

“We have been very impressed with what we have seen - the bar has definitely been raised this year.”

The pair were taken on a two-and-a-half-hour tour of the town by limousine, stopping off to look at displays and projects, civic and private gardens, schools and allotments.

Felixstowe in Flower, sponsored by the Port of Felixstowe and organised by the town council, is the lynchpin of the resort's entry.

The scheme, which has been running 22 years, provides a floral trail through the seaside town with 120 sponsored hanging baskets, plus tubs and troughs.

As part of this the town council holds a series of competitions for schools, allotment holders, businesses and private gardeners to encourage them to help make the town look great.

Felixstowe is being judged in the coastal towns class, which includes Hunstanton, Sheringham, Lowestoft and Clacton.

What do you think of Felixstowe's floral displays this year? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail EveningStarLetters@eveningstar.co.uk