RESIDENTS living in the Phoenix Rise area of Westbury joined with local community group POPCAN, to hold a physically-distanced ‘Street Meet’ to mark the 75th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day.
Music was played, residents danced and sang tunes, and local children played in their front gardens – staying within the 2 metres distancing rules of course! Window displays, flags and bunting transformed the local area into a sea of red, white and blue. Some residents even dyed their hair in the colours of the Union Jack! To end the evening, residents ordered a fish and chip supper to eat in their front gardens.
Local resident organiser and POPCAN member, Tina Devereux said “Everyone respected each other’s space, the children had great fun and many people said how pleased they were to get out into the open air and see some different faces. It encouraged people to connect with neighbours they might not usually speak to, and it was a highlight for several people who were shielding at the time, including one who we helped to organise a home delivery of fish and chips. We’re hoping we can do more spontaneous events like this as lockdown continues – it really cheered everyone up!”
Another resident organiser, Jenni Cooper said, “ it was a lovely day and seeing everyone out was nice, especially during this difficult situation.” Sam Shore of POPCAN said “It has made us an even stronger community, and has given us ideas on how we can get together and do things like this again in future”
