Well, I think that is all we know about 1976 or at least a summary of 1976. We have then got 21 years when the Carol Park story remained dormant, until her body was found by divers in 1997. However, perhaps we should recall the little that we were told about Mr. Park and his family in that period. When Carol Park disappeared in 1976, the children were very young. Vanessa was eight, Jeremy six and Rachel five. 21 years later they were young adults; Vanessa 29, Jeremy 27 and Rachel 26. Their childhood of course had gone without their mother. Jeremy Park spoke affectionately of his father. He described feelings of rejection from his mother. In contrast he said Gordon Park was a big softie, full of fun and affectionate. He was like a mum and dad rolled into one. He had been a very supportive father, including with Jeremy's girlfriends. He had helped him with career choices which would not have been easy, because Jeremy kept changing his mind he said. He told us that Gordon Park had worked throughout as a teacher. He had spent all his time at the weekends with the children. There had also been help from the wider family and from baby-sitters with regard to child care.
Mr. Park told us he continued to look after the children. They lived with him until they grew up and left home. He said he had an excellent relationship with all of them. He did his best as he could for them as a father. He said he was very proud of them all.
Jeremy Park described Leece as a close community in those days. He told you about the village shop which closed in 1977, to which Mr. Park would take the children to buy sweets, and there is a pub and a village hall he described. He said his father had done work on the sewage system for the hall, and he thought he may have been on a committee to do with the hall.