Fire and Ice at Chiswick Summer Fair

Red Watch get their just desserts whilst more than £16,000 is raised for local charities

Chiswick’s best loved summer fair returned to Turnham Green on Saturday with loads of fun for all the family whilst raising much-needed funds for local charities.

The Chiswick Summer Fair, organised by parishioners of Our Lady of Grace & St Edwards, raised more than £16,000 for local charities.

The day's events were opened by acclaimed broadcaster and local resident John Humphrys who commented on how pleasant it was to be able to pop down the road to this particular engagement as he had to travel all the way Basra the following morning.

And some of Chiswick's firefighters got their just desserts after rescuing the ice cream man who was destined to cool the crowds. In the blazing heat of the afternoon, Red Watch, who were already on Turnham Green showing off their engine, responded to a call from one of the fair’s organizers to free the ice cream man from a Cunnington Street car park after he had locked himself in.

“Not the usual stuff we get asked to do!” remarked firefighter Glen Nicolaides who was rewarded, along with the rest of his watch, with an ice cream before they left for an afternoon full of fitting smoke alarms into homes of elderly residents.

Recycling was a big feature of this year’s event. All the waste was separated and put into large bins which will in turn by sorted through by a recycling company and the general waste incinerated to power the energy grid, all of which means that for the first time The Chiswick Fair will not be contributing to landfill.

All profits will be distributed to local charities including Acton Homeless Concern, Bag Books, Cedars, Parents in Touch and others.

July 9, 2008