A SPORTY Queen, complete with crown, is depicted playing football and golf and trying out exercise equipment on a mural unveiled in Poole.

Youngsters from Heatherlands Primary School, aged seven and eight at the time, have depicted many of the activities that take place on Branksome Rec in their colourful artwork.

Unveiled by ward councillor and Mayor, Cllr Phil Eades, it celebrates the 60th anniversary of the sovereign’s coronation and the protection of the popular recreation ground as one of the borough’s six QEII Fields in Trust.

Hugh O’Brien, now nine, who attended the event with some of his fellow artists, said: “It looks different from when we did it. It’s more colourful.” He contributed some footballers and said they had enjoyed doing the artwork, finished off by artist Helen Ward.

The Mayor, who was delighted by a red squirrel in a tree playing tennis, said: “It’s really nice to see the children from Heatherlands have created the mural with Queen Elizabeth II’s 60th anniversary in mind.

“This is the culmination of an immense amount of effort by the local community over quite a few years to get this public recreation ground protected for all time.”

One of the mayor’s first engagements nearly a year ago was unveiling the stone that marks the Field in Trust, and this is among his last engagements.

Jackie Wilson, chairman of Branksome West Residents Association said: “This has been a lot of hard work by the community and the children from Heatherlands School.

“We are delighted the council is now putting in some more work and planting trees to make Branksome Rec a place everyone can enjoy.”

Sam Preece, corporate responsibility manager for LV=, which supports Fields in Trust said: “We are delighted that the community is getting such a legacy from the protection and the involvement of the school.”