英国皇家园艺（上 ) “Royal Gardens of the UK (Part 1) #DailyLife #Film #Documentary” #生活记录 #电影 #纪录片

Every year, across the UK, more than 300,000 volunteers dig for victory. She supervises on the labour. In a competition that's now half a century old. I always mow the lawn with no shoes and socks on. Oh, you sensuous beast. It's Britain in bloom. These guys take it to a completely different level. Run by the Royal Horticultural Society, it's the UK's biggest gardening contest. I've only got another 2,000 plants to put in. But it's about so much more than just flowers. As proud bloomers, young and old, come together... One, two, three, bloom! ..to show that where they live is worthy of recognition. What they've actually achieved is amazing. I'm Chris Bavin. Hello, garden gang. Hello, Chris. As a former flower trader, I know my blooms. And in this series... I'll be following 15 communities right through till judging day, when only one thing matters. It is about winning. It isn't just about taking part. Will they win bronze, silver or their all-important gold? Do you guys want to win gold? Yeah! I can tell you're nervous. What time will I finish? When the sun goes down. Mablethorpe is the quintessential British seaside town, with plenty of fun for holidaymakers of all ages. This little-known gem sits in the north-east of England, in Lincolnshire, and is entering the small coastal town category of Bloom. With 17 miles of sandy beaches, this was once a very popular holiday destination. Not attracting many tourists today, though, that's something this group of embloomers are determined to change. Having entered in Bloom for ten years, but never winning gold, this year they're really raising their game in a bid to put Mablethorpe back on the map. Back in the 1950s and 60s, thousands of holidaymakers from all over Britain would flock to Mablethorpe's golden beaches every summer. But with the town's train station closing in the 70s, along with the rise of cheap foreign holidays, like many seaside resorts, Mablethorpe's now fallen out of favour. Maybe a gold could breathe some life back into the town, but with only seven weeks to go till judging, it's not going to be plain sailing. The Mablethorpe bloomers have a monthly planning meeting, led by librarian Sue Sheekey, along with partner John Raymond, a retired plumber. You're the drawer. Away you go. We've got the ice-cream cone and the lolly. Maybe a dolphin or a seal. Hello. Hello. I've heard they love to push the boat out with some quirky design ideas. So, what's happening? What we really want to do is make a statement for Mablethorpe, you know, to put it back on the map. These bloomers are a small, dedicated band who struggle to get more locals involved. They're desperate to nail that first gold award, and keen carpenter Gordon has been tasked with building some eye-catching creations with a seaside theme. I've started making a beach hut. It's going to be on wheels. The other thing that could be, would be quite interesting, is, like, the old kind of helter-skelter. That would be quite nice, wouldn't it? A helter-skelter. I like it. I think that's really good. I'm hearing lots of fun ideas, but with 50% of all marks based on horticulture, they need to make sure they include plenty of flowers and plants in their plan. Do you think that this is going to be able to put Mablethorpe back on the map and get you the gold that's been eluding you for these years? We certainly hope so. We certainly hope so. Yeah? We hope so. Yeah. We're going for gold. The judges last year were very impressed. We did the Olympics. We got a silver gilt, which is just a tad lower than the gold, so we're hoping it'll be a gold and it'll be fabulous. The bloomers have set their sights on three ambitious projects that they hope will bring Mablethorpe the top prize. First is the corner area at Gulf Road, the main entry into town. They plan to build a row of large, colourful pieces to make an eye-catching first impression for tourists and, of course, the judges. Next, they're roping in Linkage Green, a centre for adults with learning disabilities, where a show-stopping garden is being lovingly created. And finally, at the seafront, bloomer and cafe owner Bob plans to get the whole community on board to help him brighten up the promenade. Sue and the team have grand ideas to jazz up the town, but achieving all this in just seven weeks is a huge ask. I want to help Sue and John kick off stage one, the town entrance at Gulf Road corner. On this typical British summer's day, it's all looking rather bleak. Hello. Hello, Chris. This looks lovely. What are your plans for this area? What are you doing? They're not all done, but I can show you bits and pieces that I'm putting together. First impressions count, and clearly they can't rely on the weather to help them out. Right. Oh, this looks intriguing. Voila. It's J.K. Rowling's 20th anniversary for the Philosopher's Stone. I will... On here, I will make a book. Right. And that's where I shall put the red stone. So, what's the connection between the Philosopher's Stone and the sea? Nothing. It's just a bit of fun. You know, for people to come and think, what's that over there? Have you got anything else planned? Yes, I have. Here, Chris, you'll see a composter, which nobody wanted. Yeah. This will become a dalek. A dalek? Yeah. I will completely spray it, all silver. Yeah. I've got a huge plunger. A plumber's toilet plunger? Yeah, it's a real big one. Right. That will be on there. That's what makes us different to everybody else, because we do different things. It's what we do, just a little bit quirky. And it's like, ooh, makes them sit up and remember Mabel Thorpe. What would you like to achieve? What success? To get a gold for everybody and to get more people in to see what a wonderful place it is. I think it's better than the Mauritius and the Maldives. Mabel Thorpe is, you think, comparable to the Maldives or Mauritius on a sunny day. Absolutely. Is that what I'm hearing? Yes, the beach is to die for. And we want to put the pride back into Mabel Thorpe. The town has lovely blue-flag beaches, it's true. But on a rainy day like this, it's not exactly giving me that tropical vibe. Ex-Londoner Sue fell in love with Mabel Thorpe as a child. When I was 11, it was the first time I ever came up here. It's got this mysterious way of weaving its magic around people. John and I moved here three years ago, and I remembered everything just as it was. I would love to win a gold for Mabel Thorpe to give back to it. What he's given to me, which is a lot of love. Another key stop on the judging route is Linkage Green, a community project where adults with learning disabilities come together to develop employment skills. Last year, they bagged a special award for their breathtaking gardens, and instructor Ian Patrick has even bigger plans this year. But today, the rain has put a stop to any gardening. Hello, hello. This looks great, doesn't it? Is this all for Britain In Bloom? It's just one of the features that the lads have been making for the garden. Darren chose a roundabout this time. So we'll have three of these horses with the poles on. So it'll be a flower display as well. Amazing. That's great, isn't it? So you're doing the top, are you? Yeah. Is it a good fun? Do you enjoy it? Yes. They do the woodwork when it's raining. Yeah. But mainly they do the gardens, and then hopefully, when they've got loads of confidence and learnt all about gardening, we can get them paid employment. Well, Adam's already got one on a Tuesday, cutting at a caravan site, cutting grass, which he gets paid for. Oh, amazing. At Linkage, they do an absolutely fantastic job there, and with real dedication, and it's really good for their confidence. You do DLA? I try not to. You want to try it? Make sure I don't make a mess of it. Make it nice and neat. That's a good job, Darren. Oh, thank you very much. So how does it feel, having a paid job? I like work outside. Yeah, is it good? It's a bit boring working inside, it's a bit boring. I like outside, best fresh air. So how will it feel this year if Mabel Thorpe wins gold in Bloom? Happy. How happy? Really happy. Thank you very much for showing me all the work you do, and I think it's brilliant. Nice to meet you. Fairgrounds do say seaside to me, and the community engagement here will score highly with the judges. I need to check out if the rain is also stopping play down at the third key spot on the judging route, the Seafront Cafe. I heard a shout out on the local radio. Some guy called Bob is asking for people to donate gnomes for In Bloom. Kevin and I are on our way to find out what it's all about. Bob and partner Lucy run the cafe, but I'm worried that gnomes will seem like a fish out of water in relation to the seaside theme. Hello. Oh, hiya, mate. So I heard you asking for gnomes on the radio. Yes, we are. Got about 100 so far. Have you really? Yeah. Fabulous. So I brought one for you. What are we doing? We're painting them. Grab a paintbrush. So how did you think of gnomes? How did you come up with that? It's just spur of the moment thing, and everybody loves gnomes. What's not to love? We're putting them all up on the end. Right. The brighter it is, the more colourful it is, the more people you get down. How much does the local economy rely on tourism? Very, very heavily. So Mabelthorpe being involved in Britain In Bloom can help an area? Oh, definitely. It does attract people, and I'm pretty much sure everybody in Mabelthorpe's going to stand behind it this year, and we are going to get a golden. So I've finished my gnome here, Kevin. Well, I think your gnome and my gnome make a nice couple. Well, I sincerely hope they're very happy together. Brilliant. Well, look, good luck, and I'm really looking forward to seeing all your work. I think my effort is likely to scare off more visitors than it attracts. Mabelthorpe is the forgotten town, apparently, but there is nothing forgettable about the people that I've met today. They've got spirit and abundance, and their bloom entry is unique. But transforming this town and putting it back together and putting it back on the map is going to be no easy task. The person who will decide whether Mabelthorpe has spruced up their act enough to win gold is judge Sharon Saturn. Anywhere that's looking tired and shabby will benefit from In Bloom, and it all comes from that community feeling, everyone pulling together to make an improvement in their local area bit by bit. She's been judging the East Midlands In Bloom entries for nearly 15 years. Last year, Mabelthorpe managed to achieve silver gilds. For this year, we were hoping that they would try and improve the floral impact in the town centre and a little bit more on the seaside front. They just need to get that final polish to get that gold. With judging now just four weeks away, the sands of time are against Sue and John. The builds are underway and they're now cracking on with the planting, starting with the flower bed. The plan for today is to put these marigolds in. And then on the outside, I should be putting some lobelia. Hopefully I've got enough flowers. What we plan on doing is to get the majority of the work done today. So when the judging comes, the flowers should all be blooming. I don't do flowers, I don't do no planting. I'll leave that to Bubs, she does all that. I don't know one end of a plant from now on. John may not have green fingers, but he and Gordon have made these structures entirely out of recycled wood. I need to just finish this. I will have flowers put along here and also flowers put along the other side and on the veranda, there will be flowers as well. Sue and John are working their socks off. That's what we wanted. And everyone seems to appreciate their efforts to brighten up this key judging point. That's it. Beep, beep. But getting other locals involved to help out in bloom is proving a tough task. The main problems that we really require are volunteers. They're very sparse here and most of them are elderly. We desperately need people of all ages, really. You get people that, you know, when you ask, they say, oh, yeah, yeah, we'd love to help. And that's as far as it goes. Rome wasn't built in a day, it took a week, but we will get there. Over at Linkage Green, with the weather finally on their side, Ian and the lads are hard at work in the gardens. There are seven beds which need to be crammed with colour. Here you are, Darren. Some more for you. Get your trowel, dig that in and then three more begonias, then another busy. Yeah? Yeah. That's it. Excellent. I've only got another 2,000 plants to put in. It's unbelievable how many plants it takes. And after 12 painstaking hours of building and painting, the four-foot-tall carousel is ready to go into place. You got it? Yeah. Good lad. Keep it flat. Come on, that's it. That's that done. Right, are you pleased with us, Aiden? Back at Gulf Road Corner, the pièce de résistance is also ready for unveiling. Here he comes. Oh, God, he's struggling. Oh, no, he's lost it. Gordon's lovingly handmade eight-foot-tall helter-skelter is bound to send the judges head-spinning. HE GASPS That is blinding, my man. Wow. Look at that. You ought to match that. That is brilliant. Let's get it over the road and get it into place. I can't believe that. That's absolutely amazing. What are you going to put in it? The beelia at the top. Yeah. Cos then it'll hang over. And then I'll put some busy lizzies on the skelter bit. It'll give us more points, and points mean gold, which is what we're aiming for. That is brilliant. That is, isn't it? It's amazing. I'm hoping that this thing, Bloom, will bring such a lot of tourism to the town, cos it's just...it's wonderful. And people will come and see what we see every day for nothing. There's just two weeks now until judging day, and I'm heading back to the Lincolnshire coast to check on progress. I really can't wait to see this group of bloomers' weird and wonderful creations in all their glory. Have they managed to make an entry that's quirky but yet coherent enough to win that first gold? Look at this. Oh, my goodness. Gulf Road Corner has been transformed from a bleak, empty space into a bright and fun gateway to the town. Hello. Chris? The Helter Skelter is packed with lobelias and busy lizzies and looking blooming marvellous. You've really absolutely captured that coastal theme. Old theme. With the flowers you've chosen, with the look, you know, the sand. I'm really pleased that you actually incorporated flowers, cos I was worried that they were taking a sort of back seat. What is this? Is this you? This is a sore point, yes. Is it? Yeah, thank you. Can't you see? This is my model. So you're the muse for this, are you? I love it. No flowers, though? No, no. No, not yet. There will be flowers. There will be flowers. There will be flowers? Yes. Some of it's random, some of it's a little bit questionable, but all the individual pieces, actually, are very well constructed and very well put together. To make the other side as welcoming, Sue's persuaded the local primary school to design eight vibrant panels in, yes, you've guessed it, a glorious seaside theme. Ever busy, the energetic John ropes me in to finish off his pride-of-place project, the Dalek. Exterminate. Oh, my goodness. Ta-da! Look at that! That's fantastic. Now, how many of these tennis balls are on here? 60 in all. 60? Yeah, 25 already on. You've got the job of 35. There we go. Look at that. Lovely job. Well done. I am struggling to see how it fits in with bloom. I'm struggling to see how it fits in with a seaside theme. It's certainly... Different. Sometimes when we visit areas, they've done a bit of a gimmicky thing, and we can spot that a mile off. So we're not too keen on those kind of installations. It does need to relate to the area that you're judging. Next, I'm having a butcher's at Linkage Green, where Ian and the lads have used all the skills they've learnt to create a magical garden. Oh, wow! It's incredible. Amazing. Hello, mate. Nice to see you again. Look at this place! The grounds have been packed with flowers, shrubs and perennials for structure and colour. What have you done here? The lads, they've mainly been getting the plants and putting them in, choosing where they want to put them. Wow. It's really effective, isn't it? Really bright, really stunning. Yeah. Lots of different heights and structures. I think they've done really well. With two weeks to go, Ian needs to make sure the beds get to peak condition for judging day. These are black-eyed Susans and these will grow to about that tall. Hopefully it'll all come up in the next few weeks. The carousel and big wheel which the lads made are taking centre stage. They've also added a pirate's galleon and a giant bucket and spade, bang in line with the seaside theme. Hello, mate. Hi. How are we doing? Fine. Do you want some help? Yes, please. What are we doing? Weeding. Wonderful. This is Darren's third bloom, so he's used to the hard work. So what do you think of the gardens? I like it, actually, quite nice. People come by and say it's a nice garden, they like it. And how does that make you feel when people say positive things like that? It makes me very proud what people say it's nice. If you did get gold, what would that mean to you? Everything. Everything to me, actually. This garden is truly delightful. Ian and the lads should be proud of what they've achieved. They've done their best and I'm really pleased with them. And I know if Mablethorpe gets gold, we're only a little bit of Mablethorpe in bloom. If that little bit helps get an extra tick, it's well done to the lads. Now I'm going to see another one of Mablethorpe's touches of surreal genius, Bob's Cafe. Bob! Hello, mate, how are you doing? Very well. Look at this! There's a right little army going on. Fabulous. The dreary corner has been transformed. Bob's shout-out to the community has brought in dozens of donated gnomes, cheering it up a treat. Don't forget your one there. He's been put under arrest at the moment. He was scaring the tourists away. Look at this, though, this is incredible. Are you happy with it? Yeah, we will be once they all arrive. We're getting more and more every day. It is different and it is unique. Is it enough to get gold, though? Yeah, I'm getting more positive as we're going along. Mablethorpe wanted to put themselves back on the map and with their colourful and creative designs, they're certainly going to make an impression. Will it be the right impression, though, to get that elusive gold? Let's just hope their quirky ideas don't leave the judges. All at sea. It's time to find out, because the big day has finally arrived. Judging day. For once, the sun has got his hat on and Mablethorpe is looking as fresh as a daisy. The bloomers are all out, making sure the town looks tip-top for the judges. Should have brought my clippers with me. It's quite nerve-wracking, but we can cross our fingers and hope. We'll just make sure his bottom's clean, give it away. I am excited. I'm trying to keep calm. Shit, done. Time to sink or swim, because judges Sharon Sutton and Diane Moore have arrived. Hello, nice to meet you. Pleased to meet you. In a strict two-and-a-half-hour timescale, the route will take them around the town, starting at Linkage Green Gardens, on to Gulf Road Corner, through the town centre and finally down the seafront to Bob's Cafe. First to be scrutinised are Ian and the lads of Linkage Green. Excited? Or nervous? Both. Nervous. So, who's built the ferris wheel and the carousel? We have. We have. Wow. Go on, then. This is all tops of wardrobes. So it's all recycled, then, from somewhere? Yeah, the bottoms, the back of a wardrobe, and these are just boards. It's very good. Do you enjoy doing it, lads? Yeah, yeah. I like it. My impressions are really, really nice. Very colourful, some nice features. You must be really proud. It's really good. Really pleased. I think we've done OK. Are you glad that it's over now? Yes. And you can relax? Yes. Like a coffee time again. So far, so good. Next, it's on to Gulf Road Corner, where the welcoming committee is waiting in high spirits. We do like to be beside the seaside. Oh, we do like to be beside the sea. Time to see if the judges will be singing the praises of their crazy creations. This is the bathing hut. Well, that's appropriate, isn't it, because it's a seaside town. This is the helter-skelter. It's a feat of engineering, isn't it? All of this, mainly this wood, was packing case-type stuff. We've just reclaimed as best we can. Yeah, that's really good. The themed items and the flowers are going down a storm, and I'm glad Gordon's hard work has been recognised. They're really impressed with everything. But brace yourself, because here comes the more unusual pieces. I know this is a bit bizarre, but we do bizarre stuff. Yeah, a bit of fun. The dalek was a bit different. Didn't quite see where that fitted in. And we've got a bit of Harry Potter going on here. A bit of Harry Potter, 20 years old. That's really good, isn't it? This is me. This is my peer resistance. You've got to stand next to that now. Go on, you've got to. This is the bit of fun. I must admit, at first I thought, wow, what are all these features? What are all these structures? But for a seaside town, I think it's really appropriate because you're on holiday and you want to see things that make you smile. Next, it's on to the tubs in the town centre. But frustratingly, there's been some vandalism. There's some plants missing. They were there this morning. They were there this morning, so they've gone. It's sad, really, but it's one of the things that bloomers are faced with. It can affect the score, unfortunately. Ooh, tough. But the rest of the town centre is blossoming. It's a good show, actually. And all along the promenade, there is a sea of colour. Let's hope they can also pick up points at the final site, Bob's new gnome army. Oh, wow, look at that. Nice to meet you. You all right? You like your garden gnomes, then? Are you knocked out? We are knocked out, yes. Never seen toilets quite put to that use. That was really good, thank you very much. Bit crackers, but good. Short but sweet, it seemed to go OK. I reckon we're going to get a gold pet. I can finish my water. Tour over, it's time for a well-earned cuppa at Bloom HQ. It went very well. I think the people at Mabelthorpe are a little bit crazy, but in a really good way. People are passionate. You know they've been busy bees all year and just want the best for Mabelthorpe. I'm not as stressed as I was earlier. I'm still enthusiastic. And I'm exuberant. I don't think we're done, really. Cheers, everybody! Cheers! Two months later at the awards night, the Bloomers were given a silver gilt. Just short of that elusive gold, but they were delighted and are already drawing up their next Bloom master plan.