Fun day planned for Stoke Park playground renaming

Dr David Spencer. (s)

THE official renaming of a lottery-funded park in Stoke Green takes place on Saturday, March 3.

Hundreds of youngsters are expected at Dr Dave's Tick Tock Park for an afternoon of entertainment in honour of Dr David Spencer, the former chairman of Gosford Park Residents' Association, who died in April last year - just two months after it opened.

There will be a teddy bear's picnic, face painting, henna tattooing and a toy sale while the Gosford Park Primary School Choir will be singing. A slide will also be unveiled on the day paid for with £10,000 of fund-raising and funding from the city council.

The Observer reported in August how the residents' association had decided to rename the play area at the junction of Stoke Green and Binley Road after the man who helped earn the £56,000 National Lottery money to pay.

It was one of five winners of a public vote on ITV and a £56,000 share of a fund set up to mark the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee.

The money also paid for a memorial plaque for philanthropist Joseph Levi to replace a dilapidated clock in his memory.

At the time retired teacher Dr Spencer spoke of his frustration that not one of the three parks in Stoke Green had any climbing frames, swings or slides for many years.

After unsuccessfully pushing for money from the council he took the search for funding to the Big Lottery Fund Jubilee People’s Millions contest.

Dr Spencer's widow Corrine, who is now chairman of the residents' association, told us: "Many residents and local businesses felt the play area should be renamed after him."

The daytime entertainment starts at 2pm with an evening celebration at the Humber pub from 7pm.

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