TOWN councillors took a trip around Chepstow on Monday to judge entries in its own In Bloom competition.

Councillors Yvonne Havard and Dale Rooke, the chairwoman and vice chairman of the council’s town amenities committee, toured the town from 10.30am until mid-afternoon.

And Cllr Havard said: “We got caught in a downpour at the end of the day but it was very enjoyable.

“On the whole we were very happy with what we saw and it was very rewarding. We are very lucky in Chepstow.”

They first visited Chepstow Mencap, based at The Berkeley centre on Station Road, and Cllr Havard said of their entry: “The Mencap centre is an absolute joy to go to. They really do a bit everything. We do try to encourage people to take an interest.”

And she said both judges will need a couple of days to finalise their scores.

Chepstow Mencap’s team leader Jamie Lawson said the centre has applied to the competition for the last four years and that its display this year contained fuchsias, petunias, geraniums and hanging begonias. Service users at the centre had helped with the garden’s upkeep, he said.

Competition winners will be awarded garden centre vouchers and a pottery trophy made by Chepstow town council mayor and potter Cllr Ned Heywood.

The town has an impressive history in the Wales in Bloom competition, winning prizes in each competition it has entered since 2002.

In 2006 it won the first silver medal in the small town trophy and the year after won the first silver gilt small town trophy. Last year it won joint first place in the silver gilt small town trophy award.

Wales in Bloom judges took a look at Chepstow’s 2014 entry at the end of June and the town council will be informed of their decision later this month.