A recently formed army regiment is to be honoured in colourful style when a milestone anniversary is marked with a massive floral display. The
Mercian Regiment was formed ten years ago in the grounds of
Tamworth Castle by its Colonel-in-Chief, HRH The Prince of Wales. And now the anniversary of its formation in September 2007 is to be honoured by the 2017 Tamworth in Bloom campaign which has chosen the Mercians to be the special theme for this year.

Local cubs get in on the act for Tamworth in Bloom
Tamworth Borough Council has teamed up with the Mercian Regiment to create the theme of 'Mercian 10 – the Heart of England's Infantry'. The theme will be at the centre of this year's Tamworth in Bloom campaign and will include a number of festive and floral celebrations to mark the anniversary. In keeping with Tamworth in Bloom tradition, the Moor Street traffic island at the end of Lichfield Street in the town will be given a new design to reflect the Mercian theme, with one of the raised beds being planted in the shape of the regimental logo. The Mercian Regiment is the Heart of England's Infantry, recruiting from the five counties which formed the ancient Kingdom of Mercia in medieval times, namely Cheshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Staffordshire and Worcestershire.

The Mercian Regiment marching in Ashbourne in 2010. By Martyn Glover, CC BY-SA 2.0,https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=14481056
The pressure will be on again this year as Tamworth looks to strike gold for the eighth year in a row in the Heart of England in Bloom competition. Street Scene teams from Tamworth Borough Council will be out in force in the coming weeks to prepare the area for its summer floral display. Communities, groups, businesses and individuals are being encouraged to get involved to help make the town shine, even if that just involves putting up a hanging basket. Businesses are invited to join in the campaign by sponsoring a display, with banners, planters, troughs and flowerbeds all available for branding with the names of supporting companies. One of the main sponsors is Roasters of Tamworth who are kindly providing the lunch to be served to Heart of England in Bloom judges at Tamworth Castle during judging day on July 18.

A floral figure forms part of Tamworth in Bloom
Andrew Barratt, Tamworth Borough Council's Corporate Director for Growth, Assets & Environment, said: "The Mercian Regiment has strong ties with Tamworth, having been formed in the grounds of Tamworth Castle by Prince Charles during a historic ceremony in 2007. We are delighted to be joining with the regiment to celebrate the anniversary, and doing that through Tamworth in Bloom is a very fitting tribute to the occasion. Tamworth in Bloom is not just about the flowers – it's about working with and celebrating the groups, organisations and individuals in the borough, and doing our bit to make Tamworth a place to be proud of. We hope that even more people will get involved in helping to make Tamworth bloom again this year."

Tamworth Castle where the Mercian Regiment was formed a decade ago
To get involved in this year's Tamworth In Bloom campaign or for more information on sponsorship packages, contact Environmental Management on 01827 709445 or email environmentalmanagement@tamworth.gov.uk