The
Charteris summer festival is an annual event that occurs in my old neighbourhood
every year, and has done so since I was a kid. I think it started back
in the 1970's when the street where I used to live on had hippy squatters
living across the road from my family's old house in unoccupied council
property. When the council came to evict them, the squatters put on a mini-festival
to drum up support for them, with jugglers, facepainting for kids and other
things (one of them had a go at being a fire-eater - a v.bad mistake
for him, as he had a beard which promptly got singed as he placed the flames
to his lips having been slightly soaked with petrol!). They got evicted,
but those who were re-housed and settled in the area carried on the tradition
of having a festival to this day. This was to be a fairly poignant festival
for me, as I was going to move to Tottenham shortly afterwards. Here's
some pics I took that day.
This
was a flyer I got thorough my letterbox telling me about the event and
who'd be featuring in it (those of you with keen eyes will have noticed
it used as a backdrop on this page).
This
is Abdul T.J.'s Rokoto, an West African zouk/hi-life band performing on
a stage set up in the playground where local children would play football,
cricket or whatever (I scored plenty of Cup Final-winning goals in that
park as a kid, I must say). For folks playing such happy, infectiously
danceable music, they looked pretty gloomy, sombre and restrained to me.
Here's
two girls I spotted nearby doing some very accomplished Irish dancing to
the sounds coming from the stage. For children so young, they certainly
had their moves sorted, I must say. They reminded of some of my classmates
who'd dance in the assembly hall on St. Patrick's Day at my old primary
school (the nuns at Christ The King would always pin a piece of shamrock
or a green ribbon with a plastic harp on it). I think you've got some competition
to look out for, Mr. Flatley.
These
are some of the revellers enjoying both the sun and the music (the lady
with the blue dress and the handbag was certainly letting rip in the playground,
I can tell you!).
Here's
an individual I saw who was tottering rhythmically with to the music nearby.
Not content with doing that, he seemed to get his jollies prodding ladies'
rears within range with his walking stick - a closet "Carry-On" fan, perhaps?
More
revellers enjoying the music.
Abdul
T.J.'s Rokoto again. Do you think they've cheered up a little?
A
young mum dancing with her baby (just below shot). I'd have taken a few
more pics later on, but I had a chat with a lady who chided me for reading
a book while all around me were dancing, only to ask me to keep an eye
on her keys and tin of 'Strongbow' while she went off to strut her stuff
- make your up mind, dear! When she did come back, she kept telling me
to check out any books I could by Zora Neale Husrton (a major influence
on Alice Walker, she told me). When the festivities ended I went off to
Finsbury Park with a neighbour (hello, Joyce!) and her friend (plus teenage
sons) to catch the tail-end of the Fleadh (we could hear The Pretenders
playing as we got there).