Jesmond Community Festival got off to a sunny start this bank holiday weekend with the Grand Festival Fair, held at three locations across West Jesmond, as several hundred people turned out to enjoy the event.

Town Crier Marjorie Dodds and Tony Waterston enjoy the pop-up park

The fair was spread across St Hilda’s Church, the Royal British Legion and West Jesmond Metro station. Artwork from West Jesmond Primary and Percy Hedley school were displayed in St Hilda’s, whilst community groups raised awareness of their causes at the Legion. Stalls featured handmade soaps, preserves and cakes as well as profiling Jesmond community groups including West Jesmond Allotments and Keep Jesmond Clean.  West Jesmond Metro station hosted a pop-up park while a travelling organ played on West Jesmond Avenue.

The charity organ

Highlights of the day included dance performances, announced by Town Crier Marjorie Dodds, by the Erin Hope Humes Dance Group, which meets regularly at Jesmond Pool, and Roisin’s Irish Dance Group. Music was performed throughout the day by the Mezze Mundo band.

The youngest dancers to perform were from the Erin Hope Humes Dance group

Dave Cross, chair of Jesmond Community Forum, told JesmondLocal that the festival aims to reach everybody. “It’s truly intergenerational,” he said. Students were also in attendance, with some telling JesmondLocal they had had visited after seeing the fair from their homes and wanted to find out what was going on.

Grand Festival organiser Chris Murtagh said he was pleased that the “sun is shining down on us, given that the last few years it has rained on the opening event”.

There was something for everyone, including the popular spinning teacups

North east author Dorothy Webster was at the event to promote her new book, The Eastern Promise, which is the second in her series based around Jesmond and Gosforth. “I base my books on these areas because I used to live around here and there is such a richness about them to explore.”

Dorothy Webster with her new book, The Eastern Promise

At the West Jesmond Allotments stand, 90-year old Denis Mills was proudly telling people that his father “had helped set up West Jesmond Allotments, and I still have a key to one today.”