Ilkley'S victory in the Britain in Bloom contest is a massive boost for the town.

It is also a deserved reward for those who tend and care for the flower beds which make Ilkley such an attractive place to live in and visit.

Tony Gilroy and his dedicated team received wonderful support from all sections of the community, but they were the ones who provided the drive, the direction and the inspiration for the triumph.

We should all be saying a big thank you to them. Let's seize upon the wonderful achievement and use it as a catalyst for attracting more visitors to Ilkley.

Everybody should be proud of what has been achieved. Let's hope that the words Britain In Bloom winners 2004 adourn the boards which welcome people to the town.

It was fitting that the judges also awarded Ilkley the coveted gold medal. They discovered on their visit in August what the town already knew - its floral displays are simply the best.

Outrageous lack of respect

ONE thing that outrages public sensibility is the desecration of war memorials wherever they are.

The two world wars may seem very far away to us now, but the peace and freedom we enjoy is based on the sacrifice made in those grim days.

War took away those whom the community was loathe to lose - if those who vandalised the Addingham War Memorial prove to be from the village itself, it seems we have some pretty shoddy replacements for the brave upstanding people we lost.