2008 late summer party in Trafalgar Terrace

Vanessa, Christine and Catriona with home-made bunting

June Hayhurst in the twitten with her mother Anne, her daughter Lara, and her granddaughter Bonnie

Even twittens have get togethers

By Francis Clark-Lowes, North Laine resident

Trafalgar Terrace, like other twittens (for the uninitiated this is a Sussex word for alleyways), can't hold street parties because we're too narrow. Not narrow-minded you understand, just narrow! This was the reasoning behind Over Street's much appreciated invitation to us and Frederick Gardens to join them in their recent street party on 14th September 2008.

Tradition of 'non-street parties'

However, as a little micro community which has almost completely replaced itself over the last ten years, we are developing a tradition of annual 'non-street parties' which, among other things, gives us the opportunity to get to know our new neighbours.

This year's event was called a 'late summer party' and took place on 28th September 2008 in Alison's garden. The chief organisers were Justin and Gill. Their first invitation, bookmark style, showed themselves and others dressed in penguin outfits for the annual Christmas swim in the sea; and their reminder, in the same format, was a lovely photograph of last year's event.

Everyone contributed

Gill, Christine, Alison and Vanessa made the bunting, I supplied the flashing lights (having at last found that pesky adaptor), delicious food was prepared by all, bottles and cans were brought and consumed, the music rang out and, in that well-worn phrase, 'a good time was had by all'. Well, most of the time. One of our younger neighbours got a little tearful at a certain point, but a community party wouldn't be a community party without that, now would it?

Friends and relations of twitten residents were included, thus enabling one of the sensations of the event, the attendance at the party of four generations of June Hayhurst's family (see photo).

Thanks are especially due to Justin, Gill and Alison, and to all the others who helped to make this such a memorable event.

[Previously published in the 'North Laine Runner', No 195, November- December 2008]