A young singer from Morecambe is set to perform a powerful and deeply personal song about her hometown at the prestigious Chelsea Flower Show tonight, standing in a garden she helped design.
Chloe Jane Hirst, 23, will take to the stage on the Eden Project’s ‘Bring Me Sunshine’ garden, offering visitors the first public glimpse of the £100 million Eden Project Morecambe development ahead of its planned 2028 opening.
The garden, inspired by the landscapes, heritage and communities of Morecambe Bay, has been co-designed by a group of young people from the town, including Chloe, alongside designers Harry Holding and Alex Michaelis.
It celebrates creativity, opportunity and pathways into green careers, with several contributors currently not in education or employment given the chance to help shape the high-profile project.
At the heart of Chloe’s appearance is her original song Tribute to a Ghost Town, which reflects on her upbringing in Morecambe and the changes transforming the seaside town after decades of decline.
One of the song’s standout lyrics — "This ghost town will be gone, this chapter of the book will be done" — points to hopes of a brighter future.
Speaking about the performance, Chloe said the track was driven by both grief and optimism.
"Morecambe matters to me.
"It’s where I learnt to use a knife and fork. It’s where I first fell off my bicycle.
"It’s where I started singing," she said.
"This ghost town is my roots, and they are firmly planted — something I share with so many local people.
"This song came from a place of mourning because my childhood home, as I’ve always known it, is changing.
"Like the waves washing away footsteps on the beach, Eden Project Morecambe represents a new chapter.
"A chapter characterised by fresh opportunities and adventure."
Alongside Tribute to a Ghost Town, Chloe will perform two other original songs inspired by nature, identity and local heritage, including Mr Morecambe, a tribute to comedy legend Eric Morecambe, who grew up opposite her childhood home.
The garden itself has already proved a standout success at this year’s show, winning a Silver-Gilt medal and the RHS Environmental Innovation Award.
It will eventually be relocated to Morecambe, where it will be expanded into a community garden around 30 times its current size, forming part of the wider Eden Project development.
Andy Jasper, chief executive of the Eden Project, said Chloe’s performance captured the essence of the project’s ambitions.
"This is exactly what Eden Project Morecambe is all about — giving young people a platform, a voice and belief in the future of their town," he said.
"The honesty and emotion in Chloe’s songs have moved a lot of people.
"They capture both the challenges Morecambe has faced and the hope and optimism people feel about what comes next.
"Seeing a young person from Morecambe perform her own music on a garden she helped design, at the world’s most famous flower show, will be incredibly powerful."
Members of the public can still vote for the garden in the BBC/RHS People’s Choice Award following its positive reception at Chelsea.
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Mr Jasper added: "We’d love people to get behind the garden and vote for us.
"This garden is all about Morecambe, its people and its future — and every vote helps us share that story with more people."
The project has been supported by grant-making charity Project Giving Back and is set to become a permanent feature in the town as part of Eden Project Morecambe when it opens later this decade.
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