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Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days







Pictures from the Green Days

GREEN DAYS 2003 REVIEW

Thousands of people revelled in the sunshine at the 37th annual Green Days fete in Bedford Park, Chiswick - the opening event of the two-week Bedford Park Festival.

"It was like a two-day party on the Green" said Father Kevin Morris of St Michael & All Angels Church, which organises the Festival. "We had record crowds and everyone said it was the most enjoyable event for years."

Despite ominous forecasts of rain, the weather held fair for almost all the two days. Radio 4's John Humphrys claimed the credit for that, as he opened the Festival on Saturday morning. He joked that he'd asked Tony Blair to make sure the weather was good because he could do everything else - "but he said he'd need 45 minutes warning."

Humphrys posed for photographs with dozens of children who'd dressed up as Harry Potter characters for the Fancy Dress Parade. They were led onto the Green by Gus Halford, dressed as the Hogwarts Express, who won one of the first prizes. Harry Potter was the most popular character, but there were plenty of Hermiones, as well as a Draco Malfoy, a Ron Weasley, a Nearly Headless Nick and a Moaning Myrtle.

The competition was judged by Father Kevin and by Sister Jennifer of St Mary's Convent & Nursing Home, which will receive the money raised from it this year. "There were some fantastic costumes and it was really hard to choose the winners" said Sister Jennifer. The competition was sponsored by Waterstone's Chiswick, which is giving copies of the new Harry Potter book, Harry Potter & the Order of the Phoenix, to the winners of the two older categories, and other books and tokens to the runners up. The prize winners were:-

Age 5 and under
1st Phoebe Rigden - Unicorn
2nd Charlotte Timmons - Professor McGonagle
3rd George Parsons - Harry Potter

Age 6 to 9

1st Gus Halford - Hogwarts Express
2nd Amelia Williams - Golden Snitch
3rd Alex Timmons - Professor Quirrel
3rd Adam Kenton-Harris - Dementor

Age 10 & over

1st Joe Halford - Basilisk

Prizes were also presented for the Turnham Green Terrace Treasure Hunt, also on the Harry Potter theme, sponsored by the local estate agent, Fletchers, and supported by 22 of the Terrace traders. Children had to spot pictures of Potter characters in the shop windows and say which was their favourite and why. More than 30 children found them all. The winner of the first prize - a trip to the Children's BBC studios - was Emma Tritton (8) of Orchard House school. Her favourite character was Mrs Norris, the sinister cat, "because she snoops around with bat ears, just like me". The runners-up were:
Oliver Cooper (9) from Ravenscourt Park prep school (Professor Snape - because he has great magic powers to turn people into monsters.)
Grace Curtis (5) from Orchard House school (Hagrid - because he has a pink umbrella, like me).
Alice Duns (7) from St Mary's RC primary school (Norbert - because he was mischievous and loved having fun - dragons are cool!)
Freddie Garrard (8) from Our Lady & St Johns, Brentford (Ron Weasley - because he's funny, fussy, wimpy, he panics and loves Hermione Granger.)
Alex Rogerson (7) from Jacques Prevert school, Brook Green (Dobby - because he irons his fingers pancake flat when he is cross).
Olivia Shotton (8) from St Mary's RC primary school (Professor Trelawney, because she makes wacky predictions and she's crazy).
Rufus Stirling (9) from Durston House, Ealing (Ron Weasley - because he always seems to have interesting things in his pockets.)
Alex Timmons (7) from Ravenscourt Park prep school (Fred & George Weasley - because they keep setting off filibuster fireworks and dungbombs.)
Patrick Wolton (6) from Orchard House school (Harry Potter, because he can do magic at Hogwarts, and I can't.)

Another highlight was the 5-a-side Football Competition, sponsored by the estate agents Bushells. For the first time, there were two competitions - the under-13s on Saturday and the under-10s on Sunday.

In the under-13s contest, the winners of the Bushells Cup were Hive, whose players go to five local schools - including Southfield, Ravenscourt Park and Chiswick Community School. In the final, they beat Lat-mer, from Latymer Upper School, which also provided the third-placed team - Black & Blue United.

The winners of the under-10s Bushells Cup were John Betts Juniors, who beat Kew Park Rangers in the final. In third place was Bedford Park United.

There was live entertainment on the Band Stand throughout the two Green Days, and a highlight was the surprise appearance of Millie and Pearl, the two Jamaican singers seen recently on TV, in promotions for the BBC Talent scheme.

They performed on Saturday afternoon with the local ska-reggae band Freetown, who also feature in the BBC film. Freetown's next single will be out soon and they are also planning a Christmas album with Millie and Pearl. Other music was provided by the swing band Bassett & the All Sorts, Off-Beat Brass, a young local band called The Young Offenders formed by James and Jo Scott, and No 1 Station, one of London's top ska-reggae bands, who brought the two-day event to a great close in bright sunshine. There were also several dance demonstrations and classes - including swing dancing, salsa and Scottish Country Dancing.

But the biggest crowd was attracted by the Pop Idol children's talent contest on Sunday afternoon. Almost two dozen children sang or danced on the Bandstand. Some others had to be turned away as time ran out.

The two joint winners were 8-year-old Daniel Pirie, who danced to Michael Jackson's Thriller, and 8-year-old Milly Forrest, who sang The Lonely Goatherd from The Sound of Music. Both showed remarkable talent and confidence for ones so young. In third place was 11-year-old Alice Kent, who was dressed and made up as Kelly Osbourne, and sang Shut Up.

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days

Pictures from the Green Days