AMERICA'S 'special relationship' with the UK was flourishing in Richmond when ten US students dug in to help with the town's In Bloom bid.
The teenagers are on an educational visit to England, staying at the Kiplin Hall Study Centre during their time in Yorkshire.
They have already visited York and the Houghall campus at East Durham College and spent a day in Richmond to help with the work carried out by the Original Richmond in Bloom team and Richmond Pride.
Their task was to tackle an overgrown footpath and the steps down leading from The Channel.
The footpath, which lies behind the shops at the bottom of the Market place, leads to Park Wynd and the new community Soft Fruit Orchard, the Gas Holder Gardens and the waterfall.
The youngsters got to work on clearing brambles, ivy and weeds to make the stairs from the town to the river easier to negotiate and certainly more attractive.
They even discovered a handrail, covered in many years of ivy growth.
Marcia McLuckie, Chair of the Original Richmond Business and Tourism Association said: “The group approached the project with enthusiasm and really got on with the clearance work. Within a couple of hours they made a terrific difference."
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