Richmond Bridge gets a small makeover to celebrate 250 years since the first stone was laid in 1776.

The 23 August is 250 years to the day since Hon. Henry Hobart laid the first piece of the bridge, who stepped in after the then Prince of Wales George IV refused to do so.

Ahead of the anniversary, Be Richmond released a new campaign called 'Be in Bloom' which saw a floral display added to the bridge on 20 August and it took passengers under the bridge on The Royal Jubilant.

The short trip was conducted by the Richmond Bridge Boat Hire Team who navigated members of the community and Deputy Mayor of Richmond Kuldev Sehra under the bridge to get a closer look at the new floral display.

"Our goal with 'Be in Bloom' is to celebrate Richmond's amazing heritage and natural beauty in a fun and engaging way," said Anna Bromly, Be Richmond Marketing Manager. 

"'Be in Bloom' not only beautifies our historic bridge but also promotes a sense of community pride and enhances the overall visitor experience.

"What better way to view such an historic bridge than from the deck of a tradition rowing boat that was actually built under it?" she added.

Behind the colourful flowers are Battersea florist, WildAbout, who used to have a store in nearby Twickenham.

A spokesperson from WildAbout told Richmond Nub News: "We are really proud to be a part of this celebration. We are a south west London event florist and have worked with the local community there for many years.

"We are so happy to have been a part of this. All the foliage was sourced locally and flowers from the Covent Garden Flower market."

When asked on the decision process behind the vibrant flower arrangement WildAbout added: "We chose bright colours to create an impact and add colour to the bridge and so that it could be seen from the river."  

View of the flower arrangement on Richmond Bridge from WildAbout (credit: Cesar Medina).

Be Richmond say the flowers are expected to last until the end of August.

To find out more about Be Richmond and its Be in Bloom campaign, click here.

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