Maggie Philbin gets the Bedford Park Festival up and running

Maggie Philbin and Torin Douglas. Picture: Tom Doran

The sun shone down on Acton Green Common for the first Green Day and good weather is forecast for this Sunday (11 June).

The Bedford Park Festival was officially opened by former Tommorrow's World presenter and Chiswick resident Maggie Philbin. This year's event is themed 'The Next 50 Years'.

Following the fancy dress parade the Green Days Fete & Craft Fair got underway with huge crowds milling around 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.

Among the attendees was the area's newly elected MP Rupa Huq who received a warm response when she was introduced on the stage.

It all starts again at 11.30am this Sunday. Sir Peter Blake is to make a guest appearance where he will make the draw for a signed print of his latest work – a ‘pop art’ collage of 55 entertainers who performed at the Empire Theatre in Chiswick.

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.

Picture: Tom Doran

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.

Picture: Tom Doran

June 7, 2017