Sundown Adventureland in Nottinghamshire

When young couple Audrey and John Rhodes relocated to a bungalow called Sundown in Rampton, Nottinghamshire, in the 1960s, they started keeping chickens and selling home-grown produce to their neighbours.

Audrey’s love of animals became wellknown across the village and she began looking after injured foxes and poorly rabbits. Children and families would come to visit their menagerie which they kept in their back garden.

Their collection grew and new additions included a donkey from Rhyl and even a pet monkey called Coco as Sundown became home to donated animals and pets that people no longer wanted or couldn’t keep.

What started as a 2.5-acre petting zoo was transformed into the 60-acre fairytale theme park that it is today.

By 1984 it was a leading employer in the rural area and had been credited for its contribution to local tourism and employment.

But in 1995, with health and safety restrictions imposed on keeping exotic animals, Audrey and John decided to rehome their brood. But knowing they were such an important part of the park and the reason it all began, they decided to introduce animated animals to Sundown, which are still a very popular attraction on the park today.

After her husband died in 2008, Audrey ran the business with her daughter Gaynor and her grandchildren. Over the last 10 years, Sundown added four more rides including its popular driving school, teacups and a jumping pig ride as well as being the first UK park to have the Angry Birds play equipment.

Even in her 90s, Audrey would chat to visitors at the park and work in the gift shop. She sadly passed away earlier this year and is greatly missed by all.

In an interview to celebrate Sundown Adventureland’s 50th anniversary in 2019, she said: “My advice and my motivation has always been to just have the imagination and your dreams, and it will happen.”

sundownadventureland.co.uk