Catford South Kids' Lantern Parade

I hope you all made it to the parade, because it was amazing!!! What an incredible afternoon - we had over 300 children and their families participating. The energy was so positive, with people coming out of their homes to watch and cheer. It was quite a sight, looking down the hill on Braidwood Road and seeing so many lanterns bobbing along. Magical. The drumming - weren’t South London Samba great?! And the fire performer at Rushey Green, followed by the children singing - all were marvellous! I hope you had a chance to meet and talk with some new people - and I hope you will say hello when you see those now familiar faces walking along the street - don’t pretend you’ve never seen them before! Thank you so much for your help and support in making it happen - it really and truly was a community-led event. Shall we do it again next year?

It's nearly arrived, the lantern parade day! We have one more free lantern-making workshop from 11.30 to 2.30 at the Sandhurst Primary School dining hall (count on an hour or slightly more to make a lantern, working with your child). When you have finished making your lantern, go have a cup of tea and then come back to the Sandhurst playground at 3.50 to collect your lantern which will be rigged with a light and a stick. We will set off - in the groups that we made our lanterns with - at 4.30. Our walk to Rushey Green will take 45 minutes or so. Once there, we have a nice little finale to watch and listen to, then the lanterns get taken apart so the kids can take their creations home. Please bundle up as it looks to be chilly, but dry. Get gloves or mittens for those little hands carrying lanterns! Thank you all for your enthusiasm - see you at the parade!!

Our first public lantern-making workshop is this weekend - Saturday, 12 November at the Healthy Lifestyle Centre on Abbotshall Road from 12.30 to 3.30pm. It's a drop in sessions for kids and their chosen adults. It's free, it's fun - come!! You might meet some nice new people too. If you can't make this session, there will be another one on the day of the parade, Saturday, 19 November - in the Sandhurst Primary School dining hall from 11.30 to 2.30. Emergency Exit Arts artists will be leading both sessions. I have sat in on two of the workshops they have done for schools and they were great at getting the kids interested and engaged in the project. It was exciting and gratifying to see. We're nearly there, can you believe it? Please join us and reap the benefits of this event that you have helped make happen!

In case you have a hard time reading the map I just posted, the route is: Start at Sandhurst School, down Minard Road to Dowanhill Road, then Torridon to Braidwood, Muirkirk, Penberth, Thornsbeach Road to Bargery Road, to Penerley Road, finishing at the infants playground at Rushey Green Primary School. The map also appears on the poster and flyers that are currently being distributed in the neighbourhood. Just over three weeks to go!!!!

Hi Everyone, Preparations are roaring ahead for the First Annual (?!) Catford South Kids' Lantern Parade! We will walk/march/dance through the streets of Catford South on 19 November, a Saturday, from 4.30pm, so please mark your calendars! Our starting point is Sandhurst Primary School and our finale is at Rushey Green Primary School. Last week we had our workshop with Emergency Exit Arts who showed teachers and group leaders how to make the lanterns, so there will soon be lots of kids making lanterns in school and as part of local Scout and Girl Guide groups. There will be two public lantern-making workshops in case your or your neighbour’s child don’t get the opportunity in school - one on 12 November in the early afternoon at the Healthy Lifestyle Centre on Abbotshall Road and the other at Sandhurst school on the day of the parade. We want as many local kids and families as possible to be able to join in on the parade! I will post our route soon for any parade watchers, so you can work out where you want to stake out your preferred spot - though I can’t guarantee that you won’t be pulled into the parade as it goes by!! Thank you again for all your support and making this event possible! All the best, Martha