Pocket Park Re-opens with a Bang!

On a truly beautiful summer Saturday (2nd July), Sulgrave’s Pocket Park in Towrise re-opened after extensive improvements, including sturdy new play equipment, a substantial shelter, a dipping platform for the pond and new seating for those simply relaxing or supervising children at play. Large numbers of excited children and hardly less excited adults attended the opening ceremony and remained to enjoy themselves all day in christening the new facilities, taking part in many organised games and quizzes with refreshments provided by the Pocket Park team and the Star Inn.

Those arriving early found the Park in perfect condition and ready for the day’s events…..

 

 

….whilst inside the Park preparations for entertainment were in full swing…

 

 

 

Pimm's courtesy the Star Inn

 

 

 

The very special Pocket Park cake

Outside,  the excitement mounts….

 

 

The VIP guests arrive. Jane Osbourne greets oldest village resident Alec Cave and family…..

 

 

….and youngest village resident Joshua Platt, just 4 weeks old (mum came too!)

 

 

Parish Council Chairman Graham Roberts welcomed everyone to the ceremony and thanked the many people and organisations who had contributed to the refurbishment of the Park….

 

 

 

Jowanna Lewis, Community Spaces Facilitator for the Big Lottery praised the way in which the grant fund had been used to bring about such a satisfactory result….

 

 

Alec Cave listens attentively……..

 

 

….before cutting the ribbon……

 

 

…..and then standing back to avoid the rush!

 

 

VIP Joshua sleeps through the whole thing……

 

 

The fun begins…..

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for ferret racing……

 

 

 

Parish Council Chairman Graham Roberts re-appears in poacher costume as assistant ferreteer…..

 

 

The punters gather…..

 

 

A young lady takes a shine to….the idea of helping with the ferrets….

 

 

….and gets her wish…..

 

 

Bets are placed…..

 

 

….and the ferrets are brought to the race-course……

 

 

Under starters orders…..

 

 

Excitement mounts, even though the little competitors can only be seen at intervals….

 

 

Finally, a winner emerges…….

 

 

Elsewhere, more cerebral pursuits…..

 

 

….a future sailor high in the rigging?

 

 

Time for eats……

 

 

…and drinks….

 

 

An ancient form of Sulgrave greeting?

 

 

 

 

Pond dipping…..

 

 

An indication of monsters lurking in the deep…..

 

 

….sparking an imaginative entry on the spotters’ board!

 

 

 

A water boatman is temporarily detained for examination….

 

 

….whilst something else is hiding in the bushes (answers to the website email please)…

 

 

An introduction to climbing……

 

 

….whilst some have reached the summit…..

 

 

 

Where shall we go next?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Afternoon teas??

 

 

The visitors’ book…..

 

 

Time to cut the cake….

 

 

 

 

 

 

Time for young and old to start leaving the Park….

 

 

A final look back….

 

 

….and a request for someone to help look after this super new facility….

 

See here for list of Prize Winners

See below for details of just two days of the many spent by volunteers on  this important village project:

October 2009

February 2011

See here for more details on the origins of the Pocket Park.

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