A Very English Garden Party

Two Saturdays ago, inspired by the Royal Wedding, Ezra got dressed in his Union Jack t-shirt (a gift from a Nigerian auntie). So when we arrived at a St. George’s Day Village Fete that afternoon, at least one of us sort of looked the part.

The traditional village fete, held at St. George’s Gardens near Coram’s Fields, was a relaxed affair that attracted a friendly mix of local families.

St. George’s Gardens, part of the Open Garden Squares scheme, is a tranquil green space with a fascinating history. It offers a welcome escape from the madding crowd during Coram’s Fields’ holiday rush.

We watched a Punch and Judy show (“I don’t like Judy”, Ezra decided as the puppet walloped her long-suffering husband), saw kids making balloon creatures (neither of my boys were in a ballooning mood) and ate yummy homemade cakes with tea.

It was a perfect English summer’s afternoon, lying on the grass listening to a lively folk band. By the end of their set, we were all up jumping to the popular Jewish wedding song Hava Negila.

Also on the bill was a fire-juggling unicyclist with crazy skills.

But the real show-stopper turned out to be my giant bubble wand.

It’s got to be the ultimate and cheapest form of entertaining kids. They literally go nuts, chasing, leaping, squealing and popping. All you have to do is wave the wand around and let the bubbles work their magic.

Aside from turning into a human bubble machine, the best part of my day was bumping into a Babes about Town subscriber.

How on earth did she know me, I wondered? She recognised my boys from the blog! She said she’s a huge fan, tells all her friends about the web site and frequently goes to the events that we cover. How cool is that?

I was thrilled to bits and naturally she and her sweet daughter are today’s ‘on the spot’ feature.

On the Spot

Hameeda and Safia, age 2 and a half

‘I heard about this party through Babes about Town. I’m always checking the site for fun stuff to do. We just got here in time to watch the Punch & Judy show. It’s lovely here. I only knew about Coram’s Fields, so it’s nice to have an alternative place to visit.’

St. George’s Gardens runs east-west between Heathcote St and Handel St, nearest tube Russell Sq, WC2.

Visit St. George’s Gardens web site