Village Raw - ISSUE 15

VILLAGE RAW
COMMUNITY
RIGHT UP MY STREET
The past decade or so has seen a huge increase in the
popularity of street parties.
Words by Julie Tang-Evans. Photos by Ming Tang-Evans.
The tradition of street parties goes back to 1919 with “peace teas”
marking the Treaty of Versailles after WWI. Throughout the 20th
century neighbourhood celebrations in the UK were few and far
between, occurring only to mark specific national events - VE Day
(1945), the coronation (1953), royal weddings and jubilees. Then, in
2009, initiated by the Eden Project, The Big Lunch was launched to
“encourage communities to celebrate their connections and get
to know each other a little better, coming together in a spirit of
fun and friendship.” This seems to have ignited the spark for what
is now a growing trend.
Organising a street party is straightforward but requires a bit
of planning and willing volunteers. As participant and organiser I
have several years’ experience of street parties in Haringey and
there are some important things to remember to make yours a
success. Here’s a step-by-step guide:
Form a committee: You don’t want to do all the work on your own
so enlist a small group of neighbours to meet up and delegate
tasks. Start well ahead - at least three to four months.
Choose a date: Avoid days when there may be other rival events
(like school fairs) or when a lot of people might be away on holiday.
Closing the road: Decide whether you want to close the whole road
or just part of it (eg. between two junctions). You must get council
permission for this but there is no fee in Haringey and Barnet.
Residents’ agreement: You need signatures from a minimum 70%
of residents who live on the proposed road. The easiest method is
going door to door with a clipboard and forms, asking each householder
to sign against their door number. Not wanting to attend
doesn’t mean they’ll object to signing. If you have email addresses
or a WhatsApp group for your street send an advance warning that
you’re coming round. This is also a good opportunity to get neighbours’
email addresses or phone numbers so you can keep them informed
later on about street party details and volunteering to help.
Event application: When you have enough signatures contact your
council - at least eight weeks in advance if possible - and complete
an online event application which is straightforward for street parties.
They require an outline of your plans and the number of people
who might attend - an estimate is fine. You’ll need licences for
selling alcohol or paid music performances. The council checks to
see if there is any issue re your chosen date, eg. roadworks taking
place. If all is OK, they’ll approve the temporary street closure and
put up notices in your area about a week before the party, advising
the public of the date and times the road will be closed.
Temporary road closure: It’s a good idea to buy/borrow official
looking “Road Closed” signs for each end of your street. Use
wheelie bins and tape to create a physical barrier (easily moveable
for emergency services). You may wish to ask neighbours to move
their cars outside the party area for its duration.
The fun part: Choosing what you want at your street party. While
I’d advise against fire eaters or bungy jumping (you don’t want to
have to buy event insurance), the options are almost limitless, dependent
only on how much planning and organising you’re up for.
The basics are: tables, chairs, food and drink (bring your own or
dishes to share), and some entertainment for children and adults
(live music provided by talented neighbours or just a playlist via
Spotify). Gazebos are good for shelter from sun and wind. Extras
might include: face painting, games, races, tug-of-war (for friendly
street rivalry), a visiting fire engine (see tips), talent show, stalls
(toys, games, books, plants, local produce, coffee and tea), cake
competitions, tombola/raffle (prizes mustn’t exceed £500 in value),
hay bales for seating and messy fun at the end (see tips),
dance class (eg. Bollywood or Salsa), Morris Dancers, circus performers,
bouncy castle (must be supervised at all times). Maybe a
theme (for food and dressing up).
Costs: Even a low key party will incur a few expenses (things like
bunting, balloons, children’s games, prizes, bin bags, road signs).
It’s reasonable to ask for a small contribution from each attending
neighbour or family. And ask people to bring their own plates, cups
and cutlery - free and eco-friendly.
Tips: To book a fire engine visit, call your local fire station 2-3
months in advance. You can suggest a time and where to park but
bear in mind they can’t guarantee they’ll definitely be able to get
there. For hay bales try College Farm, Finchley, N3 3PG. Tel: 020
8349 0690. Cost approx. £6 per bale and you need to collect them.
10 is plenty. For dancers try local dance schools, leisure centres or
freelance dance teachers.•
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