St Barnabas Community Fete (also known as Bowstock) was an annual

fête In the United Kingdom and some of its former colonies, a fête or fete is a public festival organised to raise money for a charity, typically held outdoors. It generally includes entertainment and the sale of goods and refreshments. Fetes are ty ...

and

music festival A music festival is a festival, community event with music, performances of singing and instrument playing that is often presented with a theme such as musical genre (e.g., rock music, rock, blues, folk music, folk, jazz, classical music), nation ...

held on Wennington Green in

Mile End Park Mile End Park is a park located in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a linear park of some , and was created on industrial land devastated by World War II bombing, with the park lying on land to the east of the Regent's Canal. In the n ...

Bow, London Bow () is a district in East London, England and is in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is an inner-city suburb located east of Charing Cross. Historic counties of England, Historically in Middlesex, it became part of the County of L ...

, England. It was run by local volunteers, who started the fete in 2003 as a non-religious, participatory, free and not-for-profit festival to bring together residents of all ages, faiths, abilities and races, to draw attention to local issues and to encourage volunteering and community action. The festival was directed by the

vicar A vicar (; Latin: '' vicarius'') is a representative, deputy or substitute; anyone acting "in the person of" or agent for a superior (compare "vicarious" in the sense of "at second hand"). Linguistically, ''vicar'' is cognate with the English p ...

of St Barnabas, Father Brian Ralph, nicknamed the "rock vicar". The festival ran until 2012. Musical artists played alongside acts from local schools and the community, and acts who have performed there include Babar Luck, The Beat, Black Daniel,

The Blockheads The Blockheads are an English rock music, rock band formed in London in 1977. Originally fronted by lead singer Ian Dury as Ian Dury and the Blockheads or Ian and the Blockheads, the band has continued to perform since Dury's death in 2000. me ...

, The Bollywood Brass Band, Chas'n'Dave, Saynab Cige,

The Dhol Foundation The Dhol Foundation is both a dhol drum institute in London and a musical group. The dhol school was founded in 1989 by former Alaap member Johnny Kalsi when several musicians asked him to be their teacher, and a first album was released by Kal ...

, Heavy Load, Joi,

Finley Quaye Finley Quaye (born 25 March 1974, Edinburgh, Scotland) is a Scottish musician. He won the 1997 Mobo Award for best reggae act, and the 1998 BRIT Award for Best Male Solo Artist. His debut album, '' Maverick a Strike,'' a fusion of many styles ...

(a surprise guest at the first fete in 2003), Alaur Rahman, DJ Ritu,

Sham 69 Sham 69 are an English punk rock band that formed in Hersham in Surrey in 1975. They changed their musical direction after seeing the Sex Pistols play live in early 1976. They were one of the most successful punk bands in the United Kingdom, ac ...

Neville Staple Neville Eugenton Staple (born 11 April 1955), sometimes credited as Neville Staples, is a Jamaican-born British singer, known for his work with the 2-tone ska band the Specials, the pop group Fun Boy Three, as well as with his own group, th ...

, U.K Subs, and

Jah Wobble John Joseph Wardle (born 11 August 1958), known by the stage name Jah Wobble, is an English bass guitarist and singer. He became known to a wider audience as the original bass player in Public Image Ltd (PiL) in the late 1970s and early 1980s; ...

. The festival attracted around 2,000 people. Around the live music stage, the organisers provided an information marketplace for community groups, and a range of activities for all ages, including a

tea dance __NOTOC__ A tea dance, also called a ''thé dansant'' (French for "dancing tea"), was a dance held in the summer or autumn from 4 to 7 p.m. In the England , English countryside, a garden party sometimes preceded the dance.''Party-giving on E ...

and

extreme sports Action sports, adventure sports or extreme sports are activities perceived as involving a high degree of risk of injury or death. These activities often involve speed, height, a high level of physical exertion and highly specialized gear. Extre ...

Poster gallery

Image:St-barnabas-community-fete-bowstock-poster-2010.png, 2010 poster Image:St-barnabas-community-fete-bowstock-poster-2009.png, 2009 poster Image:St-barnabas-community-fete-bowstock-poster-2008.png, 2008 poster Image:St-barnabas-community-fete-bowstock-poster-2007.png, 2007 poster Image:St-barnabas-community-fete-bowstock-poster-2006.png, 2006 poster Image:St-barnabas-community-fete-bowstock-poster-2005.png, 2005 poster Image:St-barnabas-community-fete-bowstock-poster-2004.png, 2004 poster Image:St-barnabas-community-fete-bowstock-poster-2003.png, 2003 poster

References

External links

* {{coords, 51.5311, -0.0416, display=title Music festivals in London Tourist attractions in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets Bow, London