WHEN it comes to pondering what to do during retirement, spending more time in the garden is often top of the list for many people.
But whether that would be the case for Gerard Parkes is open to question, because he has brought more than 40 years of service to the parks of Darlington to an end.
The 60-year-old, who joined the local council as an apprentice in the parks and gardens department in 1958, was presented with gifts from colleagues on his retirement.
From South Park to Stanhope Park, Trinity Church, the Denes and Stressholme Golf Club, he has tended the town's green spaces in all weathers.
His fondest memories are of South Park, and he is leaving the council just as work starts to renovate it.
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