Jazz on the Green 2010

Jazz on Newington Green 2010

Newington Green Action Group once again ran our annual Jazz on the Green event, continuing the tradition of meeting and making music on the Green, which has continued in various forms for hundreds of years.

The weather was kind to us and it was sunny and warm, so the only umbrellas around were being used as sunshades. This may have contributed to our having a record number of people who came to picnic on the Green whilst they enjoyed listening and dancing to the live music provided by Brass Volcanoes the popular Jazz Group who joined us for the third year running.

The musicians opened the afternoon by processing around the Green, visiting the local cafes and acting like Pied Pipers, as they brought people onto the Green. Brass Volcanoes have even written a song for Jazz on the Green, which they first sang in 2008 when we had the Plastic Bag Free Newington Green campaign, with the life-sized whale made of willow withies on the Green. The crowd enjoyed joining in the song 'Don't throw away your plastic bags, or a whale might eat them'.....

During their last set, the musicians played and danced amongst the crowds on the Green and went right into the children's playground, giving them a very direct and fun experience of live music!

Stalls

There were queues at both That Place on the Green and at Trattoria Sapori's stall, both of which did sterling work providing  traditional English cream teas, Pimms and ice creams, plus Italian panini and pizzas for hungry members of the audience.

The RSPB ran a stall which where they gave out information about our native bird, wildlife and the RSPB House Sparrow Project, to link in with our WING project. The RSPB also had a number of toys and books available for children and adults. I understand they also gained some new members during the afternoon.

NGAG are keen to encourage cyclists, as another way of helping our environment and our thanks go to the brand new Police Cycle Task Force who volunteered to give out information and to security mark people's bicycles. The police told us that they managed to mark 55 bikes during the afternoon - they worked hard!

Raffle

NGAG would also like to give thanks the local traders who provided lots of great prizes for the raffle and Toni Sapori who helped organise it. You may read the list of prizes and the traders who kindly donated them, in the attachment. The tickets were drawn by Kate Groucutt, one of our local councillors and the money raised will be donated to the charity Action For Children.

NGAG gained some new members and is grateful to all those people who gave donations, which amounted to a fantastic £213, which will go towards the running of the afternoon.