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PICTURESQUE Heath Street was closed to traffic on Sunday as crowds enjoyed all the fun, food and festivities of the first ever Hampstead Summer Festival. 

The road was closed from Hampstead tube station right up to Whitestone Pond to allow residents to make the most of all the entertain­ment, which included amusement rides, dance shows, art exhibitions and a birds of prey display. 

Chess-boxing added something different to the scene, while on stage there were performances from the Gillian Winn Ballet School, the Swinging Garcons and pianist extraordinaire Ivan “Chuck” Chandler. 

Sunday’s celebrations brought an end to a week-long programme of events, which helped raise money for nearby Henderson Court. 

Anne Ward, who helped organise the event, alongside Councillor Linda Chung, Laurie White, Wendy Stark, Adam Raoof, Kenteas Linda Brine and Ann Mir, said she was delighted by the tremendous spirit shown by visitors in defiance of the rain. “As it was our first summer festival it was a real learning curve,” she added. “We wanted to bring a focus back on to Heath Street, and we had a wonderful response. People were shaking themselves off because of the rain and just kept on smiling, it was wonderful.”

Published: 21 July 2011
by STEVE BARNETT