Every year we ask ourselves why we do it, and after the fete we know exactly why! The Parish Summer Fete is an event that people look forward to and come to year after year on the second Sunday in July. It's that quintessentially British summer event that is actually quite rare nowadays, and draws happy and excited families to it, year after year. This year the Fete's organiser was Wing Blaby, and she re-imagined many of the traditional elements of the event, giving it a new energy. Here Wing and Fr. Tom compare notes before the opening by Mr Callum Howard, the Headteacher Designate for St Luke's School (he starts in earnest in September)

Mr Howard took the opportunity to talk to local families who have children at St Luke's, giving them a chance to get to know him in advance and share a some of his dreams for the school. Mr Howard is a busy man - at the weekend he is a RFU referee, and for international matches a touch line official. We look forward to the children benefiting from his sense of fair play and his care for respect and kindness (two of the schools 10 values).

The fete was a good mix of the familiar and the new. Sylvester Small took a well-earned rest from his Carribean Food stall, and its place was taken by a barbeque ably catered by Andrew St Hill, one of our newest members. STOP PRESS Andrew is to be baptised at our Sunday Mass this weekend. 

A welcome return was made by the stage (thank you to London Docklands Singers for letting us use their equipment, and performances and workshops by local groups, including our own Sunday School children and Unlimited Performance Academy who meet on Saturday mornings at the Space. Daria Tjiok sang Puccini's 'O mio babbino caro' to advertise Music 360 baby and toddler music classes run by Dennis and Daria Tjiok. The stars of the show had to be Franco and Mariachi

Margarita who had us humming along to classic latin american songs. What a way to introduce the raffle draw. Thank you to everyone who contributed prizes for the raffle - it was a great prize menu and our guests bought lots of tickets in the weeks leading up to the fete and on the day. Perhaps you won a prize? Fr. Tom will be in touch with you this week so you can claim your winnings.

The fete raised more than £3,200. That's a great result. It could be more if you were a volunteer and your company has a CSR scheme which match=funds for charitable events like the fete. Why not ask your HR department?

Talking of volunteers, we need more. There were moments on Sunday where we were just 'one brick thick'. We achieved a memorable fete, but only because the volunteers we had frankly went beyond what was reasonable to ask of them. There were lots of volunteers to set up on Saturday, but I suspect we were victims of England's qualifying for the final of the Euros. There won't be the Euros next year. Please volunteer in good time for the summer fete and be part of the winning team on the day.

Fr. Tom