A Garden Full of Cultural Delights
JOHN ENFER
Picture features Acromax from a previous ‘Garden of Delights’
It will be all-change with this year’s Garden Full of Cultural Delights with the popular event moving to a new venue for the first time. Since 2010 it has always taken place in St Leonards Gardens, but with Hastings Council in the process of selling the Lodge (the building that stands at the entrance to St Leonards Gardens and which has always provided the power for the event) it was decided to switch to a new location this year. The new venue will be Concordia Hall & Garden in Church Road, St Leonards.
If the setting will be different, the spirit of the event will be familiar to the many hundreds of people who have enjoyed it over the past 13 years. It has an international flavour in both music and food and brings together performers from across a range of different styles. This year’s performers include the Amber Leafe Band which, in their own words specialise in “world music with original twists”. Polanco will play for the first time at the event, a band which draws on Klezmer music, a lively folk style from Eastern Europe and beyond. Hastings’ own Hayley Savage will play songs of a very different kind: the alt country and folk artist has an album and a couple of EPs under her belt and packs a real punch with her vocal range.
The Boathouse Theatre Group will also make their debut at the event. The group provides an opportunity for local people with learning difficulties to shine through song, dance and drama. Marcela, a Romanian singer, will be yet another new face at the event, though stalwarts of the Garden of Delights – Gizmo – will be on hand again: the kids’ choir have sung at every event since 2010. Bringing a touch of Ceilidh to the afternoon will be Celtic Swing who have set many feet a-dancing over the years and brought the Garden of Delights to a stirring climax last year.
Special mention must go to the Bexhill Ukrainians, who will be performing while their country is engulfed in conflict, and will bring a taste of their culture to St Leonards. Their performance will come on the back of a rapturously received appearance at the De La Warr Pavilion during Refugee Week.
In addition to the entertainment there will be refreshments and children’s activities available, as well as community stalls and a raffle.
The Garden Full of Cultural Delights is organised by the Hastings and Rother Interfaith Forum. They wish to acknowledge the support of the Magdalen and Lasher Charity, East Sussex Police and the Isabel Blackman Foundation, all of which have contributed funds to the event.
The Garden will take place on Sunday 6 August from 1-5pm in Concordia Hall and garden, Church Rd, St Leonards TN37 6HB. The event is free to enter.
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