Volunteers from the Friends of Eastcote House Gardens, who last week were crowned 'Heroes' in the Gazette's Hillingdon Local Heroes Awards, have waved farewell - for now.

The group organised the last summer picnic of the year before an archeaological dig and building work to restore Tudor buildings on the site of the former Eastcote House begins.

The gardens in High Road Eastcote met a soggy start on Saturday but the sunshine soon came out and so did the people.

Families enjoyed an ever popular dog show, vintage cars, a tai chi class, face painting, a drumming and singing class and a variety of stalls from local companies including the Pinner & Ruislip Beekeepers' Association.

The picnic helped to add more than £1769 to the Friends' Restoration Fund. The fund goes towards the restoration of the Grade II listed Stables, Dovecote and Walled Garden walls, which begins in August.

Marathon runner Raquel Russell Ponte, who lives in The Chase, Eastcote, chose to donate her sponsorship money to the restoration fund, and by running her 16th marathon in Paris in April, has added a further £1,796 to give the fund a big boost.