Garage garden's top prize

A garage forecourt may seem an unlikely place to win a Britain In Bloom Neighbourhood Award.

But PJS Garage of St Albans Road, Bulwell, has received a level-one certificate at Nottingham Council House in its first year of entering this high-profile event.

Also known as ‘Bulwell Village’ Garage, the garden at PJS was described by judges as being ‘a true community project of the best sort, adding colour and greenery to a working garage forecourt’.

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Owner Phil Shepherd said: “It brightens the place up and we do get a lot of comments from customers - which is what it is all about. It was a bit of a wasteland before.”

Phil asked an old friend, and longstanding customer, Charles Towlson to tidy up a stretch of land on the site.

Charles, 63, who is retired but continues to garden professionally part-time, said: “We have enhanced it and tried to give it a ‘garage’ association.”

Over the coming years the pair hope to give the forecourt the look of a 1950s garage.

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Phil confirmed that he already has plans for hanging baskets, planters and more colourful borders. The garage does MoTs, servicing and repairs.

With Phil unavailable for the presentation ceremony last Friday, the award was received by Charles.

Phil also provides annual sponsorship for the ‘Bulwell Village’ Open Golf Championships, which was founded in 2001 and is believed to be the longest-established domestic golf tournament in the UK.

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