Can you believe how fast June is approaching already? I can’t deal!
Before we know it, it’ll be the summer holidays! Speaking of summer holiday, I need to start planning whether we want to go abroad or not for mine and Little Man’s birthday. The idea was to go Athens but the cost of travelling, travel restrictions and spending money will have to be reviewed again.
Festival vibes in Greenwich this Platinum Jubilee Weekend
I can’t believe we are already celebrating the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee. It didn’t feel that long ago that she had her Diamond Jubilee! As with every Jubilee there will be plenty of places all around London with joyous celebrations and street parties. The kids are SO excited and as the Thursday kicks off the bank holiday, I’ll get a chance to be off work early and take the kids out to places we’ve still been meaning to explore.
Berkeley has just announced that they’re hosting two AMAZING community events in Greenwich, so I’ve planned to take the kids to Royal Arsenal Riverside in Woolwich on Saturday, which is close to my mother-in-law’s and Kidbrooke Village on Sunday, which is close to my mum’s.
The festivities will start from 12pm noon onwards all the way up to the evening for a bit of a party so whether you have kids or not, there’s a time for you to join in on the fun!
No. 1 Street – Royal Arsenal Riverside
Saturday 04 June
FREE, Woolwich SE18
Time: 12PM – 7PM (after-party from 7pm onwards)
The fun kicks off at No. 1 Street from 12pm and what a line-up they’ve got in store for us! Firstly, there’s not going to be one but TWO entertainment stages – sounds like it’s going to be a mini-festival! 😊 It’s been confirmed that local artist, Caroline Hands will be at the event working with a team of litter pickers to create a temporary art installation on the day, which will then be recycled when the evening comes to an end.
Demonstrations and a friendly match organised by the local tag rugby team will commence at 12pm which will be interesting to watch – I’m not sure that I will be getting involved but maybe I can sway the kids to join in. There will be plenty of other activities to keep children happy throughout the afternoon too, such as an activity area for giant games, storytelling, face-painting and bubble shows.
If all that sounds like a lot, there’s going to be a long table that stretches down the street for people to sit, relax and just take a slower pace. There’s obviously going to be food but as the weather is going to be nice, I might just pack a little picnic too!
The main stage performances will include music from local musicians, including the Royal Arsenal School of Music Choir and a live set from Mish Mash Band later in the afternoon. If you need to escape for a bit of quiet, head over to the Dial Arch Green where you’ll find the Wellness Tent hosted by local charity Blink and Yoga Space London to help you unwind and chillax.
If you’re a four-legged lover, you won’t want to miss out on the community dog show from 1-3PM.
The evening will end with a DJ playing us out at 6-7pm but if you’re not yet ready to end the night, you’ll be glad to hear that the festivities will continue on right into the night with an after-party with drinks and more music in the Dial Arch pub.
For more info, check out:
@RAR_London on Instagram or @RARLondonOfficial on Facebook
Join in on the family-friendly sports day activities and games at South Cator Park this Platinum Jubilee weekend / Photo courtesy of Berkeley 
Platinum Jubilee celebrations at Cator Park South / Photo courtesy of Berkeley 
Who DOESN’T love face-painting?! We’ll be lining up for this on Sunday 05 June! / Photo courtesy of Berkeley 
Picnic in the park or sample some of the delicious street food at Kidbrooke Village / Photo courtesy of Berkeley 
Kidbrooke Village is fast becoming a popular destination for family days out! / Photo courtesy of Berkeley
South Cator Park – Kidbrooke Village
Sunday 05 June
FREE, Kidbrooke Village SE3
Time: 12PM – 6PM
Round 2 of the Platinum Jubilee weekend fun will be held at Kidbrooke Village so if you’re coming on the Sunday, here’s what’s in store for you…
Cator Park South will also be starting the festivities at 12pm so if I can get the kids out of bed early, we might head into Blackheath or Greenwich first for some breakfast before getting the bus into Kidbrooke Village. In full Family Sports Day style, expect sack races, egg-and-spoon races and other fun competitions, as well as other sports and cricket games hosted by the Royal Borough of Greenwich and the English Cricket Board.
Again, the sun’s going to be on our side so make sure you keep yourselves cool with delicious treats from the ice-cream van or bring along a picnic. There will be plenty of tables to sit and eat so you if you’re not keen on a picnic, then pick up something from one of the street food vendors and enjoy the live music by local artists and bands.
Just like at Royal Arsenal Riverside, Kidbrooke Village will also be hosting a community dog show and local pups will be crowned for having “the waggiest tail” and “best paw shaker” in town. You can let the children just play to their heart’s content in the giant games area or get their face painted. If it all gets too much, head over to the chill-out zone where the storytellers will take the children on a calming journey, or you could pop over to the North Cator Park playground to end your afternoon, which is one of our favourite playgrounds.
For more info, check out:
@Kidbrooke_Village on Instagram or @KidbrookeVillage on Facebook
“This is shaping up to be a weekend to remember for the local communities at Royal Arsenal Riverside and Kidbrooke Village. We’re looking forward to getting together and celebrating the Jubilee – it’s a great opportunity to mingle and meet your neighbours, as well as get to know local performers and artists. We hope to see plenty of people at both events, enjoying games, live music and lots of great food and drink.”
— Carolina Correia, Head of Social Value at Berkeley
How to get there
If all this doesn’t tempt you to spend the day out, then I don’t know what else will! Both Royal Arsenal Riverside and Kidbrooke Village are easily accessible by local transport so try to leave the car at home. Woolwich Arsenal and Kidbrooke train stations are within walking distance of the events and a good range of buses serves the local area.
No 1 Street
Royal Arsenal Riverside
Woolwich Arsenal
London SE18 6GH
Cator Park South
Kidbrooke Village
London SE3 9YL
(the park is located between Tudway road and Kidbrooke Park road)
Want to read this blog post on the go?
Scan the QR code to continue reading on another device.
NB. This post was written in collaboration with Berkeley. The sample images were provided to me by Berkeley.
Manny.Wandering | The Wandering Mother Blog 
Your comments: