THE WOMAN who has spent more than two decades bringing colour and life to Woodstock has been honoured for her work.

Pauline Richardson, 73, who was the town’s mayor between 2004 and 2006, has spent 22 years planting and growing flowers around the town and has now been recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society.

She won the outstanding commitment to the community award at the Thames and Chilterns in Bloom Regional Awards last month.

Mrs Richardson set up and leads the Woodstock in Bloom working group, which now has a team of some 50 green-fingered volunteers.

Their work led to Woodstock itself winning its fourth gold award at the ceremony, having previously won the accolade in 2007, 2008 and 2009.

Mrs Richardson, of Meadow Walk, said: “It is very embarrassing. Out of all the thousands of people that live in the area, there must be lots of people who do the same thing.”

She first began gardening at the age of 12, working in neighbours’ gardens during her school holidays.

She said: “I first began at the end of the war, seeing you could make a tin hat into a hanging basket.

“I could see that you could use baskets to put colour near houses to start to enhance them, and of course you did not do that at that time.”

She added: “I think I have got a peculiar eye.”

Woodstock now has 12 flower beds and 24 plant containers across the town, all of which are lovingly cared for by Mrs Richardson’s team.

She added: “When we started, Woodstock did not have flower beds on the road sides, tubs everywhere and flower towers in the square.

“We have encouraged pride in where we live and people have a sense of well-being when they look around them.

Mrs Richardson added: “I do not think I could live without gardening, it is absolute total therapy for me. Gardening is where I am at ease and get life sorted out.

The Woodstock in Bloom won a Gold in the regional finals along with Banbury and Watlington also won gold awards.

Witney, Bicester, Henley-on-Thames and Kidlington were recognised with silver gilt awards.