Sir,

I was delighted to read that Usk has continued its unbeaten record in winning for the 31st consecutive year the 'large village' category in the Wales in Bloom competition.

The floral displays are a credit to the efforts of the volunteers who form Usk in Bloom.

But then something stirred in my memory. Back in 2000, I recall that the Usk cricket team were disqualified from the national village cricket competition after reaching the quarter-final with a win against Werrington, Cornwall, who queried whether Usk was a village.

They had passed signs on the way to the game that said "Welcome to Historic Usk Town". Subsequent enquiries revealed a Town Council with a Mayor, three banks and 11 pubs. Not to mention a prison and a Town Charter dating back to the 14th Century. Usk appealed, but they lost when the case came to court. The judge decided that Usk was indeed a town and not a village.

This leads me to wonder whether Wales in Bloom's criteria perhaps ought to be reviewed. Given that a judge has held that Usk is a town, then why should it be allowed to remain in the 'large village' category for Wales in Bloom? More to the point, is Usk's continued success in this category depriving a 'genuine' village from winning Wales in Bloom honours?

George Weston

(Llanishen