New Fish at Imola Pond in Castle Park

Level Best Art Cafe trainees and staff were invited to attend the re-introduction of fresh Koi carp, into the Imola pond in Castle Park yesterday.

In attendance was:

Ian Baalham – Park Manager, Norman & Molly Jaques – Friends of Castle Park, Cllr Annie Feltham – Colchester Council & Brandon Kirk- Park Ranger as well as a photojournalist from the BBC.

Brandon the Ranger carefully nets the fish one at a time for our local councillor to let them loose.

Cllr Annie Feltham from Colchester Council lets the first Koi Carp into the pond (named Banquo by the rangers, of Hamlet fame).

Olivia Sampson and Ryan Balkwill, trainees of Level Best who attended with me and took the photos, return to our jobs at the cafe when the ceremony is completed.

The tragedy which beffel the original fish is detailed in the below report by Colchester Borough Council
 

"Date issued: 3 November 2016

Forty-five fish, including much-loved Koi Carp, have been killed after vandals slashed the container they were being kept in during maintenance work to the Imola Garden Pond, in Colchester's Castle Park.

The attack took place after the park closed to visitors, on 2 November. The fish had been removed from the pond and placed in a large holding tank nearby while cleaning and water-leak repairs were undertaken.

At some point during the course of the evening, vandals ruptured the tank with a knife, resulting in the loss of most of the water and the deaths of 45 fish - including all of the oldest, rarest and most valuable Koi Carp that had lived in the pond for many years.

Thanks to quick-thinking park staff, who happened upon the scene early this morning, a number of fish were able to be saved. Staff even resorted to using mouth-to-mouth resuscitation on some of the larger fish, which, along with the other survivors, were moved to holding tanks inside the park's storage barn.

Cllr Annie Feltham, Portfolio Holder for Business, Leisure and Opportunities, said: "This was a mindless and sickening act of vandalism which has resulted in the deaths of a large number of fish in our care."

We felt the blow quite hard as we have been tending the pond every thursday morning since the summer, sweeping, litter picking, netting debris out of the pond, feeding the fish (with help from members of the public (usually aged 3 - 10) and collecting coins from the ponds bottom with large magents on string (so the Rangers could buy their coffee and lunch, so we were told).

Trainees of Level Best Art Cafe's horticulture department plant bulbs with James the park Ranger on one of our Thursday morning sessions in the park.

Colin McAllister.