Street party time

Our little neighbourhood in Greenwich is having a street party today.

Here are some photos of the prep, with residents selflessly coming together to organise a good show.

Not everyone realises it but street parties are a very British tradition. They started in this country in 1919 as ‘Peace Teas’ after World War I.

Then too, they were held in the aftermath of a pandemic and had a sense of desperate gaiety — an attempt to hold on to a fleeting moment of togetherness after a period of hardship.

I didn’t know until recently that Bristol is Britain’s street party capital with more than a hundred organised every year.

We can’t match that here in Greenwich, but here’s hoping we rack up the numbers.

Originally published at https://www.rashmee.com on July 31, 2021.