They don’t hang around for Christmas in London’s East End when it comes to a right old cockney knees-up. Even Santa hurried to beat the Yuletide rush and raise a ‘high five’ when families in Mile End invited him along to collect the kids’ wish lists.
The festivities kicked off three weeks early at Mile End’s Southern Grove community centre with a Christmas party for the little ones and a lunch for 100 pensioners laid on by EastEnd Homes social landlords.
First was the annual OAPs’ shindig which brings older residents from several housing estates together for an early Christmas bash with housing staff and with volunteers from Fitch Ratings financial services company in Canary Wharf.
Their slap-up three-course meal created India Hamilton, Shuffle film festival’s head chef, was followed by a seasonal carol sing-along, of course.
Then the children from the nearby school joined in for the kids’ party, ready to hand Santa their lists of presents they’re expecting him to deliver at midnight on December 25.
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