As chairman of Chatteris in Bloom and on behalf of the committee, I would like to apologise to the Chatteris community for the state of the hanging baskets.

Cambs Times: Workers hanging the group's floral displays in Chatteris.Workers hanging the group's floral displays in Chatteris. (Image: Archant)

We always knew this year would be a struggle which is why we sent out an appeal for more volunteers in January, but we have come up against more challenges than expected.

Early on, we struggled to have enough people available to carry out watering, but, due to new water-retaining baskets purchased this season, we coped.

Then in mid-August, disaster struck when the milk float was put out of action. One month later and it is still unusable- despite brilliant efforts by the Christmas Lights Committee and Robert Smith to whom we are immensely grateful.

Cambs Times: Dozens of hanging baskets before they were hung in Chatteris earlier this summer.Dozens of hanging baskets before they were hung in Chatteris earlier this summer. (Image: Archant)

A plan B watering system proved problematic and largely ineffective, which has left us struggling to maintain our floral displays.

This is just one of many challenges we have faced as a group, but it has been the one with the greatest negative impact on our work.

To those businesses and individuals who sponsored baskets we are especially sorry.

We can only hope that we can find solutions to these problems for the future, but, for now, we are aiming to get the baskets removed as soon as we are able.

Thank you to everyone who has helped and supported our campaign this year and once again, our apologies for being unable to meet our primary objective of making Chatteris bloom.

TINA PRIOR

Chairman, Chatteris in Bloom