Shrubland Road residents held their first street party in living memory yesterday, Sunday 12 June. The road was closed off for a day of family-friendly activities, including face-painting, a disco and barbecue. The party, part of national initiative the Big Lunch 2016, was a fun-packed occasion for the whole street to come together and get to know each other better. John Hamilton, aged 81, has been a Shrubland Road resident for 50 years. He said: “This was the first time the whole community has had a party together since I moved here back in 1966. “The Street Party represents a really positive change in the area that’s been building for some years. I remember 30 years ago people would say ‘don’t go down Shrubland Road!’”
The event was planned and organised by the Tenants and Residents’ Association and started at midday with a Children’s Party, with salad growing, face painting, games, a bouncy castle, pavement chalking and yoga. <p>Then in the afternoon the party got into full swing with its official opening at 2pm. Residents brought a dish to share with their neighbours (including the cockney staple of jellied eels). There was also a barbecue, a kids’ disco with local residents DJ-ing, a cake competition and tour of the community grow boxes. The party came to a close at 6pm, allowing the road to get back to normality. There was a good turn out as residents young and old turned out for a fun-filled afternoon – although at one point rain threatened to mar the event. Mr Hamilton said: “The party will do a hell of a lot of good – for Shrubland Road, Hackney, and for the wider area too. Let’s hope this becomes an annual event!”
See this article in the Hackney Citizen.