1. A Yemen Crisis Streetfood Fundraiser
As we all know it’s, ahem, Super Saturday this weekend – but if returning to pubs and restaurants doesn’t feel comfortable (for more of this, see #3 below), keep things breezily outside with this one-off epicurean event on St George’s Road.
It’s an afternoon streetside BBQ in support of the ongoing Yemen Crisis, with tasty cuisine such as Burmese noodle dish chicken khow suey, slow-cooked beef nihari with pitta, traditional Pakistani chicken haleem, gourmet lamb burgers, samosas and delish tea-time snack busbusas.
Best of all, says organiser Asif Attia, buy a dish and you’re making a “100% donation to the Yemen Emergency Appeal”; for all burger meals purchased donations is doubled. Social distancing will be respected and you can pre-order to reserve your food (they’ll also deliver around the Francis Road area). Order on 07496 981 560. Most main dishes £5-10, Saturday 4th July, 12-3pm, 65-69 St George’s Road E10
2. Francis Road Jumble Trail is back
For a while it looked like this now-annual trawl along the enjoyable thoroughfare that spans E10-E11 might not happen post-lockdown. But happily it’s back this Sunday with over 100 stalls for “community fun and active recycling,” says organiser Esme Bradbury.
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“It’s always a fabulous day where locals come together and residents set up stalls in their front gardens and sell jumble or crafts, jam or plants,” she adds. Check out the screengrab above to see how extensive the sale area actually is; or head to a live version online here.
To help keep everyone safe this year, all stalls are outside residents’ own houses with easy access to regular hand-washing. Many are accepting contactless card payment or Paypal transfers as well as cash; and they ask that you bring small change for bargain items and have masks and hand sanitiser. “Avoid clustering and please make sure you do not block pavements and walkways allowing other to walk past at a safe distance,” says Esme. Last minute stalls can still register here. Sunday 5th July, 11-3pm E10/E11
3. Finally, you could even swing by a pub
Well, we for one are looking forward to returning to a Proper Boozer this weekend – sitting firmly outside and socially distanced, of course. But it seems we’re almost alone in this (not a bad thing post-Covid). When we posed the question on Facebook this week, barely a reader seemed tempted.
The general consensus is that a having a pint at home is still safer, although some folk said they’d be picking up a takeaway or two. Try and do the latter so we can all at least help our brilliant local watering holes get back on track.
As for us, we’ll be making a beeline for the capacious leafy garden of the Heathcote & Star (main pic, above). And we probably won’t be able to resist The Northcote’s charming courtyard, either. Sanitizer and masks at the ready, obvs.
Follow @northcotee11 and @heathcotestar for the latest on their July 4th openings.
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