As everyone who attended will know, the Street Party on 30th May was a great success. Overall, some 300 people chatted, ate, drank, danced, sang and partied in the beautiful weather specially laid on by the organisers. The event also raised £600 for OTRA funds.
Acknowledgements and Thanks
The street party organizing committee (in order of recruitment!):
- Mike Radcliffe
- Lucy Stacey
- Pete Thomas
- Adrian Robinson
- Margot Eardley
- Lyn Brayshaw
Spouses and families of the above were also roped in to various duties in advance (ticket selling: Tricia Radcliffe and Debs and Josh Robinson, advice: Tricia Radcliffe, laminating face painting pictures: Lyn’s husband Andy etc.) and deserve a mention!
Kevin (and Genevieve Shaw), for allowing street party meetings in the house, lost evenings on the computer, collecting road barriers from the Council and selling tickets and distributing fliers and post-event questionnaires.
Penny and Keith Harris (my parents), for consulting on the plans, helping with set-up and being the last ones there at the end clearing up, providing the disco (Dave and Ros Phillips also deserve credit for these last two items) and lighting and electrical equipment, and returning the banner to Waitrose.
Police Community Support Officer Sonja Payne and team, for signing a grant application and providing a reference, and agreeing to provide a stand to meet, greet and inform residents, along with another PCSO and their Sergeant. Also continuing patrols in the neighbourhood until the party ended, so we all felt safe.
Tracy, Practice Nurse at Hill Lane Surgery for organizing her own very successful street party in Shirley last year and inviting me, giving me the inspiration to start organizing another Triangle street party.
Marilyn Rossell for providing a folder of invaluable information from previous street parties, attending our first meeting in January to get us started, and providing frequent messages of support and advice on financial matters. Thanks also to Caroline Knight and everyone who was involved in organizing the previous parties for their contribution to the past street party file. Marilyn, Caroline and Roger Brown also signed the grant application form.
Roger Brown and the OTRA committee for allowing us to act under the auspices of OTRA, and use the OTRA bank account for deposits, grant purposes and paying out expenses. Also providing advice as our plans progressed and most importantly agreeing in principle to help us fund any loss made on the venture. Also for applying to the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Community Fund for a Grassroots Grant, leading to the award of £1500 towards party expenses.
Local historians and "Common Sense" supporters, particularly Graham Linecar, Nicky Bradshaw and Caroline Silk, who educated me and others on significant dates in the Triangle’s History and produced information for display and discussion at the party.
Elly Wong, Holly Bashford and other staff at the Active Communities Department, Southampton City Council for providing advice, contacts, road closure barriers and £400 worth of funding for the street party. I have agreed to return a report about the party to their department and will also work with them to develop resources for use by other local residents in planning similar events based on our experiences.
Bob Lee in Legal Services at Southampton City Council for advising on and assisting with the road closure process.
Jill Alexander and Tina Barnes at Waitrose, Portswood for providing £100 in John Lewis Partnership gift vouchers towards party expenses as well as a "Waitrose supporting the community" banner which was displayed above the stage.
Marjorie Lyons of Oakmount Avenue for baking a tray of butterfly cakes which were distributed to and gratefully devoured by children attending the party after the magic show.
Aziz, owner of Kutis, of Westbourne Crescent, for a generous supply of bhajis and samosas to hungry guests.
Louise Ardern-Jones and daughters for undertaking ticket sales in the Triangle.
Eric at November Express for printing the tickets and fliers so quickly and professionally.
And on the day itself:
- Margaret of NM catering and her ice cream van
- Geoffrey Gould, childrens’ entertainer
- Siobhan Ryan and local children for their Irish dancing display
- Ian and Julia Nicholls and the Red Hot Reeds band
- Keith Harris and Dave Phillips’ Disco & Karaoke Experience
- Pete Thomas for the firework display, and the Eardleys for allowing us to use their garden to set it off
- Mark of Leigh Road for his impromptu keyboard performance
- Lucy Stacey for a fantastic karaoke performance
- Lyn Brayshaw and family, especially Lauren, for face painting
- Mike Radcliffe for bringing the buzzer and wire game
- Pete and Laurie’s son Jim for arranging and running a penalty shoot-out competition
- Adrian and Debs Robinson and family (especially Adrian’s Dad Brian and Mum Ruth) for stocking, running and dismantling the bar
- Margot, Martin and Jack Eardley, Chris and Edy Romilly, Jim and Johnny Hodder for between them sourcing, buying, preparing, cooking, serving and clearing up all the food
- Stuart Mason-Elliott for Victorian fancy dress and a surprise appearance with a Penny Farthing bicycle which he then gave the children rides on
- John Marshall, Margot Eardley and Mike Radcliffe for putting up and safely taking down the lights and bunting
- Tony Lawther of Prestech for constructing and dismantling the stage
- The Bennings for supplying the stage and lights with electricity
- Ray Paull as Master of Ceremonies
I really do hope that I haven’t omitted anyone and it certainly isn’t intentional if I have. Everyone who turned up and joined in contributed to a truly great day.