Tomorrow's World theme will look forward to the next fifty years

TV and radio presenter Maggie Philbin, who was awarded an OBE earlier this year for her work in science and technology, will open this year's Bedford Park Festival  on Saturday 10 June.

The former Tomorrow’s World presenter, who lives in Chiswick, will also judge the children's fancy dress competition on the theme ‘The Next 50 Years’, as part of the Festival’s Golden Jubilee celebrations.

The fancy dress parade will take place at 11am on the first day of Green Days weekend, opposite Turnham Green tube station and St Michael & All Angels Church, which organises the Festival. It is sponsored by the clothing and books shop Trotters, where children can also pick up entry forms for the Turnham Green Terrace Treasure Hunt in the week leading up to the fortnight-long arts and community Festival.

Maggie will meet stallholders and examine some electric cars – from Tesla, another Chiswick-based company – which will be on display alongside the Cycle Zone as part of a focus on sustainable travel and the environment.    

"We're looking ahead 50 years as well as back 50 years" says Torin Douglas, who is co-ordinating the Golden Jubilee celebrations. "We want children to imagine what Chiswick and Bedford Park will be like in 50 years' time.

 "The first Festival, in 1967, helped to  revive the area and save 356 Bedford Park buildings from being knocked down for development" he said. 

 "Together with organisations like the Bedford Park Society and Abundance London, we want to make sure the world's first garden suburb is in even better shape for our children and grandchildren in 2067."

The Festival is supporting Abundance London's Chiswick Timeline project to create a mural under the bridges at Turnham Green tube station. It will show maps and artworks of Chiswick through the ages, including a collage by Sir Peter Blake of famous faces in front of the Chiswick Empire, echoing his cover of the Beatles' Sergeant Pepper album which came out 50 years ago.

Prints of the Blake artwork are on sale and one will be presented to the winner of a competition to name all the faces. The winner will be announced at the Green Days Fete.

The Green Days Fete & Craft Fair attracts thousands of people each year, with its children’s corner, 5-a-side football, music performances, funfair, refreshments,beer tent, Win-A-Meal, High Roller Tombola, books, bric-a-brac, cakes and other stalls. It runs from 11am to 6pm on Saturday June 10 th and from 11.30am to 5.30pm on Sunday June 11 th 2017.

The Bedford Park Festival is run by St Michael & All Angels Church, with the active support of dozens of local people and businesses. The first Festival took place in 1967 to foster a sense of community, celebrate the arts, and raise money for repairs to the Church. Since then it has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds for charities.

This year the Festival will raise money for: Msaada which helps restore dignity to the forgotten victims of the Rwandan genocide; The Upper Room who feed and support the community in need in West London; The Amber Trust, which enables blind children to fulfil their musical potential; and repairs to St Michael & All Angels Church.

May 22, 2017