Prepare to meet your Fete
It’s time for us all to enjoy ourselves and join with our neighbours in putting the fun into fund-raising.
Yes, it’s Summer Fete time in Arlington Square. This year it’s on Saturday 2 September. The ask is for your help, your presence and your wallets. We plan to raise funds in an enjoyable way for two worthy local good causes and for our work greening the neighbourhood.
All your favourite Fete features will be there – Splat the Rat, the Human Fruit Machine, Coconut Shy, Tombola, Grand Raffle and lashings of cakes, savouries and home-made produce.
At four o’clock we’ll judge the fancy dress competition and then it’s children’s games. Young Arlingtonians had better get practising their techniques for egg and spoon racing, sack racing, threelegged races and competitive tugof-war contests.
Music will be provided by the superb Irish accordionist Colette O’Leary. She has played at Glastonbury and every top-ranking folk festival, sharing the billing with, among others, Jools Holland and The Proclaimers. Her private clients include Sting, Princess Anne, Claridges and now us.
As always, this event relies completely on good-hearted locals who give their time to make it all happen. Please consider helping us to spread the load by maybe baking a cake or a tray of savouries, or giving us an hour to help at a stall or game. It’s not a bad way to meet new and old friends.
All you need to know about 2 September
•This is the 13th Summer Fete to be held in the square. It’s our biggest fund-raiser of the year: all the profits help to support local good causes and the Arlington Association’s gardening work. This year our good causes are the food bank run by the ARC Centre – sadly a necessity for increasing numbers of Islingtonians – and the Angel Narrow Boat, providing trips for disadvantaged children.
•The theme of this year’s fancy dress contest is Your Favourite Disney Character. Top tip: the judges will be especially impressed by home-made outfits.
• We rely on you to supply the tombola prizes – anything from a bottle of vintage Champagne to a tin of baked beans – and children’s books and toys in good condition. Bring your donations to the vicarage (1a Arlington Square) between 4 and 7pm on Friday 1 September.
•There will be a few card readers at the Fete, but transactions will be smoother and faster if you can pay with old-fashioned cash.
• Home bakers – you know what to do! We expect to see our food stall groaning with home-made edibles, so bring your cakes and savouries to the square from 1pm on the day. Put your contact details on any plates you’d like returned. And the Council would like you to list the ingredients of all your creations.
• Raffle prizes include food and drink from Frederick’s, the Duke of Cambridge, Caravel, the Hanbury and Pophams, a day at the races, season tickets to the Islington Proms and a trip on the Angel Canal Boat. If you want to enter the raffle but can’t be in the square on 2 September, email arlingtonassociation@hotmail.co.uk to buy tickets in advance.
• We’d welcome volunteers to help collect tables from St James’ Church Hall from 8.30am on the Saturday, to help set up in the Square from 12.30 and to clear away after 5pm. Just turn up if you can help at any time.