CATs Summer Barbecue!

 CATS Summer Barbeque! 2014

This year's CATs  Committee Summer Barbecue was a roaring success, with residents attending from all blocks of the Sutton, Samuel Lewis, and Wiltshire Close Estates and neighbours from the local community. The event provided a rare sense of community, the likes of which have disappearing across London in recent years. Now that the garden has been replanted with an abundance of wild flowers( to attract the bees and to encourage wildlife and the paving having been cleaned by Lorna, Sylvia, Mary and Jean), it is also providing the opportunity for old friendships to be rekindled and new ones to develop.

Sarah, Lorna  and Jean have spent lots of time made numerous trips to the shops in the last week to get all the refreshments and everything ready! Mary did a great job handing out the raffle tickets for the refreshments and then helping out with the ice creams too! Dorinda, Chris, Rosalind and Dolly managed the bar! Sarah and Mia were brilliant face painters! Barbara made beautiful jewellery for the adults and children! Ian and Barbot also made lots of extra trips to Sainsburys with the wheelbarrow! Lorna,Jean,Sylvia,Ian, Chris, Dorinda, Sarah, Mary, Dolly, Brian, Sandra, Barbot, Scarlett, Kyra, Romeo and Ruby all helped setting up for the day and Barbot continued all through the afternoon collecting glasses and recycling in the wheel barrow. Well done Barbot! You were a star! And thankyou to everyone for coming and making it so successful!

Dorinda organised the entertainment for the event, which included Celia Jane Soloman and Argentine Tango dancers of Tangolicious, and the musical talent of Nicky Cheeseman and Rebecca. Instrumentalist Vincenzo explained how the Sunken Garden is a very theatrical space. Nicky sang lots of Rat Pack standards as well as some musical numbers and Rebecca sang some Amy Winehouse hits. Nicky sang "Climb every Mountain" at the end of his set and the song was perfect way to end, a fitting reminder of all the struggles the CATs Committee and the residents have had to go through to get this garden blooming again! 

Earl from Affinity Sutton, in conversation with committee members Jean, Dorinda and Lorna, was full of ideas for the newly renovated garden, including the prospect of a Pop-Up Cinema and a monthly market or table top sale! Who knows? we may well be selling some of our veg from the garden! Watch this space!

Julie and Andy provided a great BBQ everything was ready and on time. The burgers and hotdogs were delicious, and she also supplied vegetarian burgers too which were fabulous! Julie runs the cafe Portico in St Lukes Church across the road so please pop in and get a coffee and a sandwich, rather than Starbucks and help support local businesses! Many thanks also to Andreas the grocer also supplied free of charge all the fruit for the Pimms as well as the vegetables for the coleslaw!

Dorinda explained that "after all the months of hard work it was lovely to see the garden open again  after so many years and now everyone can enjoy and help look after it. The garden will be open during daylight hours from now on, but it is up to all of us to take responsibility for the space we have reclaimed." 

Many thanks must go to Lorna for the organisation of the Summer Barbeque,it really was such an amazing day! We must also thank the tireless efforts of the Garden Club members, Dorinda, Kahina, Gilly, Susan, Fardosa, Chris, Scott, Natasha, Archie,Tracy, Barbot, Brian, Jean, Mary, Romeo, Hudda, Hamza and Hibad, in restoring the garden to its beautiful state and making all this possible! 

PS Has anyone seen Wally's perscription Sunglasses?
PPS More pics to follow!