The Right Rev Richard Chartres is President for its 50th year

Chiswick’s Bedford Park Festival was conceived in 1966 by the vicar of St Michael & All Angels, Jack Jenner, and revived art, architecture, drama, music and poetry in the world’s first garden suburb, which became an ‘artists colony’ after it was built in the 1870s.

The Festival’s president was the Bishop of London, and in the first Festival programme he wrote a message that rings as true today as when he wrote it:

“As London grows bigger and bigger, it becomes increasingly important that there should be a real sense of community in the various areas. To foster such a spirit in Bedford Park is the object of this Festival and I hope that it will be supported by all who live in the area.

“Since it is one of the tasks of the Church to be a centre of community I hope, too, that your parish church of St Michael & All Angels will be increasingly at the heart of the community.”

'Chiswick's favourite fortnight' runs from the Green Days weekend on 11 and 12 June 2016 (including lots of free open-air performances), culminating in the Festival Mass at St Michael & All Angels Church and the Bedford Park Open Gardens on Sunday 26 June 2016.

The present Bishop of London, the Rt Revd and Rt Hon Richard Chartres, ( bove) is the Festival’s president in its 50th year. In his Festival message he writes: “The Bedford Park Festival emerged out of the swinging 60s when many were predicting the imminent collapse of the Church of England. At that time, my predecessor, also the Festival President, Bishop Robert Stopford, expressed his hopes that: ‘your parish church of St Michael and All Angels will be increasingly at the heart of the community.’

“Fifty years on the Festival has grown and flourished and the parish church continues to work alongside many others to provide a focus for the community. I hope that this year’s Festival will be an opportunity again for us to celebrate our diversity, creativity and common humanity in this much-loved London ‘village’.

Tickets are now now on sale for events for this year's Bedford Park Festival.

June 3, 2016