MORE than 200 people enjoyed a Sunday afternoon enjoying the sights and smells of the Tavistock Sensory Garden at the first annual sensory garden party at the weekend.

As well as enjoying the weather, visitors learned how to play petanque, had a taster session of bowls at the neighbouring Sir Francis Drake Bowling Club, all while enjoying a spread of cakes and buns provided by town centre businesses and friends of the sensory garden.

Tavistock Mayor Cllr Paul Ward opened the event.

Welcoming the mayor and dozens of volunteers, supporters, sponsors and visitors, garden trust chairman Graham Parker was proud to announce that Churcill Retirement Homes had given the garden £25,000 in sponsorship.

Accepting a cheque from Churchill Retirement Homes’ Jo Ridehalgh, Graham said: ‘This magnificent gift will enable us to take the garden to the next level, improving the Rose Walk and Woodland Walk, getting water into and around the garden, improving disabled access and signage and repairing paving throughout the garden.’

Graham also thanked everyone involved in the creation of the garden.

He gave special thanks to the bowls club for rescuing the garden from drought earlier in the summer during the heatwave and Kinship Connect, sponsors of the Friends of the Sensory Garden Scheme.