Bermondsey Street FESTIVAL

21 September 2013 - Save the date! by Chloe Hodge

this Saturday 21st September marks the seventh annual Bermondsey Street Festival, which sees the people of SE1 come together to celebrate their talents and have a good old fashioned party!

The festival began in 2007 as a small village fete in Tanner Street Park, following the theme of “Celebrating Creativity”, and it has succeeded in doing just this every year since! Originally set up by Bermondsey Street Area Partnership “to get the community involved and bring people together”, the festival has fast escalated into a huge expanse of stalls, activities and performances which keep Bermondsey buzzing for one long sunny day, every September.

This event has remained different to many of the festivals which occupy London during the summer months: the feel is very much village-fete-meets-cultural-city, with attractions ranging from chic wine tasting to mad maypole dancing; dining on authentic Spanish tapas to old English fete games; and from a catwalk of bespoke fashion to meeting the flock of local farmers. The fair is enjoyable for young and old alike, and whilst there is a police presence, they’ll be seen winning the tug of war (as they did so proudly last year) rather than holding back a crowd.

Bermondsey Street Festival 2013 London
Each year sees many more businesses pitching up to show their wares, yet the core team has remained the same: including the loyal members of Bermondsey Street Area Partnership such as Angela Fordham; Bermondsey’s famous sculptor Andrew Logan; and iconic fashion designer Zandra Rhodes. Zandra describes the festival as a “fabulous chance to get together and meet people. Having a community is very special and something we must treasure”. Throwing her a 69th birthday bash and presenting her with an enormous pink cake during the 2009 festival, the Bermondsey community clearly values Zandra as much as she values it.

The festival is characterised by a buoyant atmosphere and, somehow, annual unbroken sunshine. It is a chance for local businesses to get together, but also an opportunity for people to come into Bermondsey to see everything that the “creative and dynamic community” of this thriving village has to offer, as ex-mayor Bob Skelly explains. With visitor numbers rising from 1,000 up to a lively 15,000 over the past six years, it has certainly put Bermondsey on the map, and the 2013 event is set to be bigger than ever -“incorporating all of the expected attractions as well as two hundred stalls,” beams Angela Fordham.

This range of attractions will include the notoriously hilarious dog show; the fashion show, displaying the work of designers such as Susie Stone; acts from young creatives on the IdeasTap stage; and the outdoor cinema, which annually entertains the evening picnics of fair-goers with films like The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Wizard of Oz and Cabaret. Meanwhile, the two hundred stalls bordering Bermondsey’s rabbit warren of streets will be held by local boutiques, eateries, bakers, farmers and artists, and are sure to be brimming with beautifully crafted gifts (for yourself or others) and delicious foodie treats.

“guests arrive from across the globe and are delighted to discover a village spirit

This year’s Bermondsey Street Festival looks to be especially energetic, and The River Magazine team is particularly excited as it also marks our first birthday!

Think Apartments, who are sponsoring this year’s Bermondsey Street Festival, value the local village spirit and started out in the friendly Southbank before spreading their wings city-wide.

Think were born four years ago, with the idea of setting up value-for-money accommodation in London’s prime locations. Located in the capital’s hotspots, and being both fully-fitted and serviced, Think’s apartments offer a unique homeliness and freedom: clients can go out for dinner or instead can shop locally and eat in, and are free come and go as they please whilst enjoying a level of privacy which hotels simply don’t offer.

Think Apartments Bermondsey Street London
Think designs each of their apartments as a luxurious home from home: incorporating every kitchen essential or home comfort you could need, whilst still providing those extravagant hotel perks – keeping both practicality and indulgence covered.

Three of Think’s five properties are based in Bermondsey, bringing an influx of visitors into, and undoubtedly contributing to the growth of, this flourishing area.

So, with endless stalls, events and even a place to stay covered; let’s see just how many visitors we get to the festival this year round!

Think Apartments Ltd
First Floor
151 Tower Bridge Road
London
SE1 3JE

t: 0203 465 9100
w: www.think-apartments.com

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