70 years on the British throne is a unique achievement, well worth a glorious celebration countrywide. Congratulations Your Majesty! And how better to celebrate than a jubilee party in our beloved local park, with neighbours, friends and family?

    The event was organised by HRUA (the Harrow Recreation Ground Users Association), in collaboration with Harrow Giving and Pinner Road West Chamber of Commerce, and with support from the National Lottery Fund.

    The long-awaited day dawned grey but not rainy, which was quite a relief after a week of dire weather forecasts for Sunday. Indeed, the afternoon turned out to be dry. Stalwart volunteers, orchestrated by HRUA Committee’s Alison and Jane, were setting up early, and many worked through the day and stayed late to clear up. Tables and gazebos were put up, the stage was set up ready for the many bands and performers who came to entertain us all, and a wheelbarrow was spotted transporting awkward bits and bobs!

    Foremost among the stalls is always the Cake Stall, loaded with goodies baked and donated by our keen volunteers. They had to stop serving mid-afternoon as they’d completely run out of cake! Other stalls included the Make-A-Crown stall (very decorative), the Plant-A-Seed stall (hopefully many local gardens now have a sunflower sprouting), and a stall providing henna and glitter tattoos.

    We were informed: Harrow Best-Before (a not-for-profit organization focused on fighting food waste), Pinner Road West Traders Association (PRWCC),and Harrow Giving (projects to make a positive difference in the lives of Harrow residents)

    We were fed: Desi Hype (“a taste of India”), Nomad / Lalale (Caribbean food);

    And we were entertained by talented and enthusiastic local musicians and dancers: The Banned, Grimsdyke Brass, Harrow Steel (nurturing gifted and talented local musicians), Nomad/Lalale (drums, vocals and rap), Kalaimaram (south asian dance).

    As the afternoon went on, more and more people thronged the park, many dressed in Jubilee colours and some bringing very impressive picnics. It was a happy atmosphere, and now we can all look back on this historic occasion, feeling that we marked it appropriately.