Darth Vader was one of the unexpected items found when the Pavilion’s pond was dredged ready for spring.
As well as the action figure, a pink child’s scooter and several beer bottles were also uncovered alongside lots of mud and pondweed.
The pond’s spring clean was part of several weeks spent sprucing up the Pavilion’s east lawn after the ice rink was dismantled in January.
Head gardener Rob Boyle said: “Now the lawn has reopened for everyone to sit, relax and enjoy. Please do so and take care to treat it kindly, so it doesn’t fall to the dark side again.”
The restoration also saw thousands of rolls of turf laid on the lawn, under the watchful eye of a hawk decoy to scare away seagulls who might otherwise have ripped it up.
Thanks to the hawk – and a lack of regular heavy downpours – the lawn was ready weeks earlier than expected.
Good job, pond is bigger than I remember.