But vandals have once again struck Broadmeadow’s fairy garden, leaving its 93-year-old creator struggling to repair the damage and contemplating the future of the little patch for little dreamers. 

Mr Moyle, a painter and decorator by trade, transformed the site into a magical oasis where his daughters could play in 1970.

Since then it has expanded to include a plethora of statues and a letterbox where children can post letters that gets “hundreds and hundreds” of letters to this day.

“I loved doing it, because you see all these mums and little kids putting on their fairy wings and going in,” Mr Moyle said.

“It brings me great joy, and it’s kept me alive.”

But the Sunday night raid on the site, which left a number of the mature plants damaged and with broken branches, has Mr Moyle contemplating the future of his little field of fantasy. 

The damage echoes an incident in 2012 that damaged many of the statues built for children, leaving Mr Moyle at his wit’s end. 

While the damage is less severe this time, Mr Moyle’s age means he is less active in maintaining the park and relies on his daughters to help him. 

“I used to clean it up every morning, now I have to wait until one of my daughters can come around,” Mr Moyle said.

“But they’ve got their own things, too.”

Mr Moyle said another set of hands available a few days a week could help keep the magic alive but he was loathe to step back entirely.

“It just gives me so much pleasure to know I’ve done it at my own expense, no-one’s ever had to help me,” he said.

“I wouldn’t want a heap of people or anything but I am desperate for a bit of help.”

The Herald, Newcastle