Street Parties And Why They Are A Good Thing

You may have noticed recently a report on the annual Barton Grove Street Party. You may have noticed the party even if you didn't read the report as music tends to carry on a summer evening. Not being a resident of Barton Grove or Drive I've never been to one of these parties before, but this year (due to being partly responsible for the music drifting across the village) I was fortunate enough to share in the festivities. What I learned was that despite the noise these are incredibly positive community events.

One might think that Kedington has more than it's fair share of excellent community events and indeed as a village we are very lucky, so you may consider an event that only takes in residents of a couple of streets to be a minor thing and less valuable, but having seen one in action I think it might be the reveres. Big events are great and do help to bring the village community together, but once you get beyond a certain size people do tend to go off in to the same little circles they always travel in and pretty much not speak to anyone else. You can end up in the same street as somebody and never talk to them. This party changes all that. It's a comparatively small event where the things that brings you together with people are not interests or what clubs you are in or what school your children go to, but the accident of happening to live in the same street. It creates a whole new social circle. I was told on the evening that two new households have moved into Barton Grove over the last year and through this party and organising for it they have got to know other people from the street far better than before. Other people who have lived there for years get to renew acquaintances and maintain the kind of links that mean they will look out for each other. Your can't do this as well with a village wide event where it's all to easy to just stand on the edge and watch the people go by without ever getting involved.

Much as the people of Barton Grove might disagree, beyond an uncanny ability for barn dance steps there is nothing special about Barton Grove. There are little greens and usable spaces all over the village. Almost any part of the village could do this and of course they can do it in their own way too. I really recommend giving it a go. You could make friends for life that you never knew were just a few doors away.

Article by M P Upton
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