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It couldn’t have been a more Stokey day. Clissold Park was packed out, pretty much every single one of the multitude of diverse communities was represented, and the sun even deigned to shine, despite storms of biblical proportions being predicted all week. Most people had a smile on their face, a drink in one hand and a child in the other – or just another drink. It was, of course, Stokefest.
The event was organised by Open Source and sponsored by a whole host of local businesses and organisations with the support of Hackney Council. An array of activities was on offer to entertain the local children, from face painting and puppet making to a song-and-story tepee. For the energetic, there were classes ranging from Turkish folk dance to flamenco and the possibility of relaxing after with a spot of shiatsu massage and meditation. The emphasis was firmly on creativity and performance, including a comedy and poetry area sponsored by The Others and curated by local comic guru Simon Munnery which commanded a rapt audience all afternoon. The music stages included the Sunday Revelator, and I’m reliably informed that Cajun band The Rosinators went down a storm.
A special mention has to go to The Cesarians headlining on the Core Arts acoustic stage. This bizarre but brilliantly entertaining quintet – self-styled as burlesque punk – performed a resounding set, which was sadly curtailed due to licensing laws much to the intense chagrin of the crowd. And the drummer, in true rock and roll style, responded by throwing his drum kit off stage, delighting the audience. Just in case none of this sounds quite N16 enough for you; there was an old Routemaster in the park being used as a pub. Brilliant.
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