Community parties in Northleach (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

Community parties in Northleach

REVELLERS in Northleach took a step back in time at the weekend at a 1940s themed fundraising party.

From a flannel dance on the Saturday night to Sunday's street party and sing-along, members of the community in Northleach threw themselves into the events.

The weekend had been arranged as the first in a series of fundraising events for the parish church.

The historic wool church needs £600,000 for vital repairs to the roof and windows.

A charitable trust for the fundraising appeal has been formed with Lord Vestey as its patron.

The English Heritage Lottery Fund has been approached as have other grant-making organisations but an essential element is a 'self-help contribution by the community.

Organiser Sheena Loveday said the weekend had been a tremendous success that had drawn together the entire community.

It was made possible by help from the school, which hosted the street party, and the town council which agreed for the soapbox derby to go ahead after last minute insurance fears threatened to scrap the event.

It was a really friendly atmosphere and a real cross-section of the town came along. She said: "It went really well.

"On the Sunday we had around 45 children, we had people who had lived their whole lives in the town and we had people who had recently moved in.

"It's nice to know the community is so supportive and that people were so supportive they would give their time and effort to make something successful."

As well as the dance on Saturday evening, there was also a series of events for younger residents with traditional races and a soapbox derby.

Live music was provided by the Alka Seltzer Sisters and the Bakerlites and food was also provided, also prepared with a wartime, rationing theme in mind.