The 2010 Fete!
Kew Green took on a festival air on 19th June as around 5000 visitors flocked to the very first Kew Midsummer Fete.
A truly traditional event, it was a celebration of local crafts, companies and charities, with over 80 stalls selling everything from home-made jam to hand- made jewellery, and local restaurants feeding the five thousand with everything from hog roast to cream teas.
The crowd was entertained by a brilliant variety of local talent, from dynamic dancing to karate kicks, from the massed voices of the Rock Choir to the sassy harmonies of the Singing Waitresses, and Bond’s Victorian Fairground offered vintage rides.
Of course no local fete is complete without a dog show: here there were 101 entries (though not a single Dalmatian) vying for the attention of the judge, dog lover and Richmond Park MP Zac Goldsmith. To round off the day, there was the drawing of the 100-prize raffle by the celebrated conservation architect Sir Donald Insall, newly knighted in the Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Michael Glazebrook, Chairman of the Kew Midsummer Fete Committee, said: “A group of local residents felt that Kew would enjoy a traditional village fete with a strong local flavour. I am sure everyone will agree that we achieved this and a lot more. As many as 5000 people had a wonderful day on Kew Green and we succeeded in raising over £5000 which will be shared among four local charities: The Kew Community Trust, The Vineyard Project, The Three Wings Trust and St Anne’s Church.”