Whilst a Britain in Bloom award to Boston is a feather in the town’s cap, we think that it is becoming something of an over-obsession for too many people. 
The latest plea broadcast by the Worst Street Daily Dross is the challenge: “Let’s make it as splendid as this all year round.” We would wholeheartedly agree – but for the fact that the effort is narrowly focussed on a specific area chosen in advance to be paraded before the judges.

The picture that this paints for those us live nearby is similar to the Mona Lisa finished off by a four year old.

A five minute or so walk from the centre, and the streets are littered, the verges overgrown and the only flowers to be found are on the weeds.

It’s just not good enough.

Boston in Bloom is largely the work of volunteers – and long may they prosper.

Outside of that area the job is down to Boston Borough Council – and it’s being ignored … disgracefully.

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Given the Worst Street obsession with badges we wonder why the town shuns the Department for Communities’ “Great British High Street” competition – which has just been launched for 2016.

High Streets Minister Marcus Jones promises that this year’s competition will be “bigger and better” – and as last year attracted a meagre 230 entries the chances for nomination must be worth a try.

If Worst Street fears that it can’t get as close to a prize as the Boston in Bloom squad then perhaps the slumbering Boston Town Team might think of having a try.

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Boston Borough Council is again banging the drum about food safety – this time with a guide to what food labels mean – unravelling such complex advice such as “use by” and  “best before.”

But we are pleased to see that the Worst Street environmental health page is still apparently offering a handy recipe guide. We first highlighted this some weeks ago, and think it’s high time to take the item down before someone assumes it’s serious.

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Boston Borough Council has come up with another of those arse-about-face ideas that look good on the back of a fag packet but not so clever in practice.

Nine months after the government introduced charges for plastic carrier bags in supermarkets – which cut their use by the hundreds of millions in favour of a return to sturdier carriers – Worst Street has come up with a limited-edition “bag for life” – to “show your support for the town ... and the environment.”

The bag bears the obvious and bowdlerised slogan “I’m backing Boston” – although whether this means a fiver on Stump Boy in the 3-30 at Kempton Park isn’t clear.

Nor is it a “bag for life” as defined by the government – which explains … “typically, you pay for these once, and can return them for a free replacement when they wear out.”

At present the bags are only available from the Worst Street Offices at a quid a time cost price – but the council has also issued a begging call to shopkeepers asking them to get in touch it they’d like some on sale or return …which ought to have been thought about earlier.

A promising idea overall but yet again let down by bad planning and lack of forethought.

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A few weeks ago we mentioned Boston Borough Council plans to save money by dumping its spending responsibilities on the district’s 19 parish councils.

One contentious issue is grass cutting – and a reader told us: “At present Wyberton has only been given a price to cut the Cuckoo Land grassed area.

“It is usually cut once or twice a week.  The quote we were given is to only have it cut four times, which is ridiculous, and the price isn’t much better either, at  £659.

“It’s council owned land and they get the rent for it. Admittedly it goes back to the allotment holders – so should they pay, or take it on themselves?”

However, Sue​ Gray, ​chairman of the Cuckoo Land Allotment Association takes issue with this.

She tells Boston Eye that the grassed area – which is accessible to locals – is cut, at most, fortnightly in the growing season and takes one person over eight hours on a large machine.

“Secondly we pay the council rent for the allotments but it does not come back to us in any way.

“We are responsible for the upkeep of the area within the hedges/fence.

“We have no responsibility for the public areas which surround the plots.”

Ms Gray tells us that the Association is holding an Open Day tomorrow – and that visitors are welcome.

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