A pensioner's playground for retired people was transformed over the weekend into a scene out of 'Alice in Wonderland'.

To celebrate the 150th anniversary of Lewis Carroll's 1865 novel, arts and crafts enthusiast Lynn Abery organised her own madhatter's teaparty at the Victorian Gardens of Hanbury in Prynest Green Lane, High Beech.

Over 200 children and their families attended the ticketed event on Sunday, (August 16) which included tea and cake at the Madhatter's table and designing their own Wonderland crafts.

Other entertainment included a puppet show, bubble machine, bouncy castle and magician.

Mother-of-two Ms Abery of Romeland, Waltham Abbey, hosted the event to pay tribute to the classic children's tale and raise awareness of the facility, set in the heart of Epping Forest.

Contributions from the day will go towards the Dom Miller Trust Fund, which was set up by Mr Miller four years before he opened the community leisure park in 2008.

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Children's entries for the Madhatter hat-making competition