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Friday, June 16, 2017
News 3
Fearne's got flower power to win annual town award
Safety work for high-rise fire risk
SENIOR Ranger Fearne Latham will have her floral design seen by thousands of people in Bognor Regis this summer. Fearne, pictured above, has waited ten years to win a prize in the annual Bognor Regis In Bloom competition run with the town's Girlguiding leaders. Her wait paid off when she collected the overall winner's certificate, as well being the best in her age group, from the town mayor, Cllr Phil Woodall, on Tuesday. She also won a £15 shopping voucher. THe design by Fearne, 17, of Bognor Regis South Rangers, was judged by In Bloom members to be the best interpretation of this year's theme of Beside the Seaside. She said: "It's cool to win. I've been entering this competition since I was a Brownie and I've not won a prize at all. "I like the thought art can be turned into flowers. It's amazing to think my design has
been planted. I will definitely be coming here in the summer to look at it after the plants have bloomed. THe competition was quite easy for me because I live quite close to the sea and I have a lot of happy memories about the seaside." Fearne's design has been created in a flowerbed at the south end of the miniature golf course in Waterloo Square. Measuring some 5m long X 1.5m wide, it contains at least 500 flowers. THe sea will be shown by lobelia Crystal Palace, the sky by lobelia Cambridge Blue and the clouds by lobelia White. Yellow French marigolds will depict the beach. Town Force member Joe Lawrence, of Bognor Regis Town Council, made two deckchairs and a boat from recycled wood, to add the finishing touches. THe competition attracted what was thought to be a record number of 170
entries. Town council mayor's secretary Rebecca Vervecken said: "THese flowers will bloom in a few weeks to look like a scene on the beach. "THe Guides, Brownies and Rainbows are really good at getting involved in this contest. THey are really enthusiastic. We want to try to get as many members of the younger generation as possible involved in the town." Denise Kinrade, Girlguiding's district commissioner for Bognor Regis south, said: "Our members create the designs in their units. THey get a lot out of it. It's nice for them to keep their designs and look back on them in years to come." THe other age group winners at the ceremony were: Megan Randall, six, 1st Bognor Regis Rainbows and Chloe Mole, 1st Flansham Brownies. Fellow winner Ruby Smith, of 3rd Felpham Guides, was absent.
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Wait continues for beach scheme backing - see page 7
FIRE chiefs have reassured Bognor Regis residents they work constantly on the safety of tower blocks. Fitzleet House is the tallest building in the town at 15 storeys. Attention has switched to such high-rise accommodation after Wednesday's tragedy in West London. THe confirmed death toll from the fire at Grenfell Tower had reached 17 people by yesterday afternoon. THe total was expected to increase as the investigation into the blaze continued. Hospital treatment was being given to 34 casualties. Of those, 17 were in a critical condition. A spokesman for West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service said on Wednesday: "THis terrible event is still unfolding and the circumstances of what has gone on are still very unclear, traumatic and challenging for all concerned. "At this stage, further speculation would be unhelpful but we can reassure West Sussex residents that incidents such as this are, thankfully, rare. We work closely with local authorities, developers, housing associations, landlords and tenants to help ensure that fire safety in high-rise accommodation is safe and appropriate." Training exercises are occasionally held at multi-storey buildings to test
the fire service's response to a fire. One took place at Fitzleet House in August, 2009. It saw everyone who lived in the 15-storey tower block in Queensway evacuated. Some 40 firefighters were involved in an event which lasted about an hour. Six fire engines and specialist appliances were used. Ian Paine, a watch manager at Bognor Regis fire station, said at the time: "Fitzleet House is a unique property because it has only one stairwell up the middle. "Because of that, this exercise is very important to us. We want to make sure we have got our procedures right. It's very important to see how they go." Fitzleet House was built in the 1960s. It consists of 74 flats. Fifteen of them are in a three-storey block next to the main building. THe fire and rescue service has advised residents in high rise flats to devise an initial safe escape plan. THis should involve leaving straight away if a fire starts inside their flat or maisonette and closing doors behind them. "If there is a fire elsewhere in the building, then the structure of your flat - walls, floors and doors - is designed to give you a minimum of 30-60 minutes' protection from a fire," it adds.
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