THE judges are in town today as Halesowen competes as Britain in Bloom national finalists for the first time ever.

Halesowen are one of 76 community gardening groups preparing to battle it out in the final of the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) competition, where they will face stiff competition from five other teams in the ‘Urban Community’ category.

The Halesowen in Bloom team will hope they can overcome Stanwix in Cumbria, Wolverton and Greenleys in Thames & Chilterns, Evington in the East Midlands, and Bankside in London to claim the title.

RHS assessors will be judging the town across a range of criteria that includes horticultural know-how, community engagement, efforts to bolster biodiversity and climate change adaptation.

Final preparations have been made, and now all that stands in the way of Halesowen taking the category is the judges’ opinions, but Halesowen in Bloom chairman Eve O’Connor, who has led a team of volunteers in making the town look as beautiful as possible, is in confident mood.

But it’s not just the town’s real flora that will be on display today. Thousands of poppies which have been knitted to create a large-scale memorial to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War will also play a part in Halesowen’s bid.

Due to the magnitude of the poppies being created by local community groups, they have had to be installed along the railings which line High Street.

There is also something for the children to enjoy as the In Bloom team host their annual treasure hunt.

Youngsters and their parents are being urged to join the search for crazy mixed up wild flowers which are hiding in shops around the town. So grab a map and entry form from Halesowen Library and see if you can find them all before Saturday (August 4).

People from across the borough have given their backing to Halesowen in Bloom’s final campaign – with the town being the first team in Dudley to reach this stage of the competition.

The Mayor of Dudley and Halesowen councillor Alan Taylor has given his backing to the team, and said the volunteers are a ‘shining example of what it means to be community spirited’.

Throughout the day, News reporter Dan Sharp will be in the town centre, bringing you the latest interviews, photos and videos from Halesowen’s bloomin’ good bid.

So don’t forget to check back here for more.