The weekend of 17/18th June was perfect weather for the Radlett Festival and the village turned out in force to support all the activities.

On Saturday night the outdoor concert at Phillimore Recreation Ground was supported by over 500 residents, with many more listening from their gardens on a balmy evening. Picnics were in abundance, supported by a whole hog roast from DP Clarke and a beer tent from the Cat and Fiddle offering, among other things, some wonderfully cold Pimms. Some unusual entertainment was provided in the interval by Jo Herbert and friends doing Fire Poi dancing as well as stilt walkers and balloon sculptors.

The Fair on Sunday afternoon saw another 2000 or so villagers out at the Phillimore Recreation Ground enjoying a myriad of activities from Go Carting and Wall Climbing, to the fun fair, stalls and the dog show. On stage we were treated to a wide variety of music and dancing from the Victoria Hawkes Dancing School and the Jewish Primary School Folk Dancing group to the exciting hip-hop dancing of the Alter Ego Group from Hemel Hempstead.

We must thank the members of the Hare Krishna Temple at the Bhaktivedanta Manor for all their help and support over the weekend. They regularly lend us a lot of equipment for the Festival including among others tents, chairs and a PA system, and provide many willing people to help with all the carrying, lifting, putting tents up and down and general leg work! Not to mention their free food and saris which make the weekend so colourful.

This year we had some excellent local sponsorship from many local people and businesses, but the main three were John Apthorp, Aitchisons Estate Agents and Beaver Travel, with the £1000 cruise prize. We would like to thank them all for their
help with the costs of the Festival.

Overall over the weekend we raised about £8,500 for local charities. A cheque for £2,500 will be given to the Peace Hospice as 50% of the money raised at the concert and the rest will be used towards the Radlett Youth Fund.

Next year the Festivall will be held on the weekend of 9/10th June 2007, so don’t book your holidays for that weekend!