FOR 12 years, the Liphook in Bloom team has been awarding commemorative plates to category winners of its competitions – and some residents in the village have accumulated as many as 10 plates for their outside walls.

But as the original transfers, provided by Grayshott Potteries, were all used up this year, the team decided it was time for a new design as well as a reprint.

The team's former chairman, Irene Ellis, bravely tackled the job of creating a new design and it was then turned into finished artwork by the graphics department at Grayshott Pottery.

As the cost of producing the new transfers and artwork was considerable, the team would not have been able to proceed had Barry Haines, of Anchor Garage, not stepped in to offer to meet the lion's share of the expenditure. After he had made his generous offer of support the team was able to approach East Hampshire District Council's Community Projects Fund to request that it to covered the remainder.

The new plates were ready for the annual Liphook In Bloom presentation evening at the Millennium Centre on Tuesday.