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03/09/07
The St Barnabas Community Fete celebrated its fifth successful festival last Saturday in Wennington Green where the residents of Bow and surrounding areas enjoyed a day full of music, food, sport and culture. The event, organised by the vicar of St Barnabas Church, Bow, Father Brian Ralph, was also attended by the Bishop of Stepney, the Rt Revd Stephen Oliver.
The community fete was originally set up by Father Brian five years ago as an attempt to reintroduce a family atmosphere to the area. Father Brian had been working in the East End of London for many years and decided something needed to be done to combat the negative perception of the area. Previous festivals have seen performances from Finlay Quaye, Chas and Dave, UK Subs, The Beat and Jah Wobble all of whom have played for expenses alone and the fete has also been a vehicle for young bands to play and gain experience and exposure.
This year, will include performances from renowned artists such as Neville Staple of the Specials and Fun Boy Three as well as many talented acts from local schools and businesses. The fete, taking place on the green from 12pm to 7pm, will cater for people of all ages, including a bouncy castle, skateboarding ramp, sporting activities such as Sikh Martial Arts and Tai Chi, various informative and commercial stalls and a tea tent housing a DJ playing music from the 40s and 50s.
Father Brian said:
‘The idea of having the St Barnabas Community Fete is to celebrate the good things that happen in our community and to enable local people to share ideas and support one another.’
The Bishop of Stepney, the Rt Revd Stephen Oliver said:
‘Over the last five years, the St Barnabas Community Fete has grown in size, impact and diversity. The organization of any event of this size includes a huge amount of planning, and Father Brian and his dedicated team of volunteers have built great relationships with local organizations and the public to make the festival an annual event looked forward to by all.’
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