Families turned out for a last fun day at Victoria Park before winter set in for real after it was acclaimed Britain’s favourite public open space.

East London Advertiser: Dressed to wrestle... two youngsters in Sumo wrestler fancy dress at Vicky ParkDressed to wrestle... two youngsters in Sumo wrestler fancy dress at Vicky Park (Image: TH Council)

Vicky Park was named the nation’s favourite in last month’s Green Flag ‘People’s Choice’ awards for the third time in four years, so the Keep Britain Tidy organisation unveiled a plaque on Thursday while Tower Hamlets council laid on a free public event to celebrate.

Children tried their luck on the traditional coconut shy, put on fancy dress for Hallowe’en and had fun on the bouncy inflatable vampire castle.

Vicky Park is now ‘centre stage’ in east London, with the annual free public firework display planned on Saturday after an absence of five years—just 48 hours after Thursday’s Guy Fawkes Night.

Around nine million people came to the park last year, including 275,000 at festivals which attract international superstars.