Veteran on mission to restore local park
BBCA veteran is helping to restore a local park "to its former glory".
Iain Connolly, 40, volunteers at Carr Ellison Park, in Hebburn, South Tyneside, to trim the grass, cut edges and clear litter, after he noticed it needed "a bit of TLC".
The dad recently uncovered a mosaic from 1998, with people messaging him on social media to say they had helped to make it as children.
South Tyneside Council said it was "incredibly grateful" for the support of its park volunteers.
Mr Connolly, who served six years in the armed forces, had been coming to the park for 30 years but recently noticed a decline in its appearance.
"You just enjoy the park, then one day it strikes you that it's not the same," he told BBC Radio Newcastle.
"It used to be well-kept - we had park keepers and flowers everywhere."
Mr Connolly fits his gardening around his work as a signaller for Network Rail. Other volunteers also help out to restore the park, including the Friends of Carr Ellison Park group.
Recently, Mr Connolly uncovered a mosaic, which was made by children from two local schools in 1998.
"We had a few people message and say we did the pizza and the football," he said. "It just brings memories back of people in school when they were doing it."
Iain's brother, Craig, said: "It's fantastic, some of the bits he's uncovered, nobody has seen in a long time."
Mr Connolly, who also posts updates on his progress on social media, said he enjoyed the work, which was "just a good way to wind down".
He said the more people saw the progress being made, the more he enjoyed his work.
"The best thing is at the end of the day, using the blower and seeing the complete change and difference," he said.