Garden Statue Of Sparky The Stag Honours Memory Of Nature-Loving Hilda

Family, friends and fellow residents have paid a creative tribute to a nature-loving lady who lived at a New Forest care home for seven years.

The memory of Hilda Parrett, who passed away earlier this year, has been honoured with the installation of a 1.5m-tall bronze stag statue in the garden of Colten Care’s Woodpeckers in Brockenhurst.

The artwork, paid for through a crowdfunding campaign, has been gifted to the home by Hilda’s family and is positioned by a cherry blossom tree she used to admire from her bedroom window.

In agreement with Hilda’s son Ken and daughter Sue, team members at Woodpeckers invited fellow residents to choose a name for the stag.

Suggestions were compiled into a shortlist ahead of a naming ceremony at which ‘Sparky’ was revealed to have attracted the most votes.

Cutting the ribbon on the statue and paying tribute to his mother, Ken said: “She enjoyed the beautiful and seasonally changing garden view from her room.

“She will not just be missed by her family and friends but the Woodpeckers team who supported her wellbeing and care day to day.

“We would like to show them our gratitude and offer a remembrance to Hilda which will also bring joy to other residents and enhance the tranquil and beautiful setting.”

Travelling from their home in London, Ken and his wife June were joined for the ribbon cutting by friends of Hilda including fellow Woodpeckers residents Paul Puckering and Patricia Hoy.

Companionship Team Leader Jane Bunker said: “Hilda was a very kind and gentle lady. Born and brought up in London, she became a seamstress and really loved fashion.

“But most of all, family was her highlight. Her children and grandchildren were so important to her. We got to know her and her family very well over the seven years she was with us.

“At the same time, she loved nature and the garden, and we had many chats about the view from her bedroom window with the cherry blossom tree right outside.

“It’s always a joy to bring art into a care environment and the presence of Sparky in the garden is another way for us to celebrate creativity while remembering Hilda.”