St George’s Garrison Church Festival
Review of Garrison Church Summer Festival Week August 16th - August 22nd 2026 By WGCT Chairman, Tim Barnes
August 16th Opening day
Slow start but numbers picked up during the afternoon and about 80 people attended with a further 50 for the evening concert.
Taru Arts organized the afternoon of which the highlight was a drumming event organised by Rudy Rocha in which about 15 people of all ages participated. The Deputy Mayor was a very enthusiastic participant and also contributed a nice speech of thanks for the Festival and to the Garrison Church. There was also a Parade with costumes based on the Rio Parade and a live band
In the evening there was a live concert performance by The Mooches, a local group. They were great. Most of the songs were written by their lead singer .All the music had a great beat and their final set with the chancel lit up behind them was particularly memorable.
We made £300 from Bar Sales, a very encouraging result., which set the pattern for encouraging Bar Sales throughout the week to benefit the Garrison Church
August 17th
A bit of a let down because of numbers. About 30 people attended the afternoon but only 12 for the Comedy Performance in the evening. But those who did come had a good time. The marquee was used for baby yoga with mothers and babies taking instruction. There was also a splendid magician and children’s entertainer who had a group of 9 4 to 8 year olds in stitches. He finished his set with the children receiving their own balloon models.
It was a pity that the comedy event was not better attended as both of the performers were very good; amusing and topical and well received by the audience which was there.
The bar takings ticked along.
August 18th
This was the day supported by the African Commonwealth countries and by the Commonwealth Bond whose directors, (John Carmichael and Peter Mann had been generous donors to the Festival.) There were some splendid African drummers dressed in ceremonial robes performing at the entrance to the Church. We were visited by 4 Ghanaian chiefs dressed in ornate ceremonial robes (including the previous Mayor of Greenwich, Cllr Dominic Mbang.) In the afternoon we had a performance from Louise Hatch, a local singer with her band. Numbers picked up encouragingly in the afternoon and in all we must have had 100 in attendance.
The catering provided by Rose’s Back-a-Yard Grill Caribbean food was very popular (as it has been throughout the week) with a good range of food.
In the evening we had Ngāti Rānana London Maori Club performing, with just a guitar and no sound amplification, they were great. Dressed in traditional costume they performed a variety of Maori songs and dances including variations on the haka. The 12 members of the group stayed on for an hour after the performance soaking up the atmosphere of a summer evening at the Garrison Church, and enjoying food and drink. The St George and Dragon memorial was beautifully lit, as was the chancel. We know that the Maoris will be returning to perform again.
What has been encouraging on all the days of the festival so far has been the number of visitors who had not been to the Garrison Church before but loved the space and are determined to re-visit, both during the remaining days of the festival as well as on future occasions.
August 19th.
Another sunny day for the Festival with good numbers attending. In all we had 150 visitors during the day which was supported by the local Caribbean community. It was particularly encouraging to see so many children. They were held spell bound by the children’s entertainer and magician who got the children to run around, to assist him in his magic (featuring the continually collapsing magic wand) and culminating with a flame trick.
Wilf Kirk who has performed at the Garrison Church in the past put on 2 splendid stints on the steel drums.
In the afternoon there was a performance by the Reach Theatre Group from the Tramshed Theatre in Woolwich. The group is made up of young adults with learning difficulties and they are simply a joy to watch. All of the group love to perform and they are given individual opportunities to introduce themselves to the audience. With a good backing tape and well drilled by Hazel Bracken they put on a thoroughly enjoyable and professional act.
In the evening the RAF castes Band performed to its normal high standards. The drummers were immaculate in setting a rhythm which held the Band together. The xylophones and trumpets picked out tunes such as Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines and When the Saints come marching in.
The final entertainment on offer was Friday’s Child, a very professional local singer.
August 20th
Once again the children’s play area proved very popular as did the face painter and the magician. And the food stall had a long queue for most of the day.
Laurence O n’ The Blistered Mirrors performed in the afternoon and the Jolly Old Timers in the evening. Unfortunately there were 2 outbreaks of heavy rain which affected numbers in the audience. The Jolly Old Timers are a very accomplished Jazz band with a wide repertoire including When the Saints and their own version of My Girl Lollipop.
About 60 people in all attended the Festival
August 21st
For the last 2 days of the Festival we had a craft market alongside the other entertainments. Cakes cards, clothing and other gifts were on sale.
Many families with young children were now aware of the Festival and spent the whole day at the Garrison Church. An additional attraction to-day was a good sized bouncy castle.
More than one young mum said that it was wonderful that all the entertainment was free and that the inside of the Garrison Church made for a secure environment for children to run around in.
It was good that we had visits from recently returned from Cyprus families of soldiers from the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment as well as members of the Kings Troop.
In the evening the Reach Theatre Company put on a splendid and well choreographed tribute act to Abba which was followed by a showing of Mama Mia, as the sky darkened. About 125 people in all attended the Festival.
August 22nd
A wonderful last day of the Festival. Fine weather. Good crowds and a great deal of entertainment. Over the whole day about 300 people visited the Church.
We brought the Craft Market into the Church from the Marquee outside and put the children’s play area and bouncy castle in the marquee. This worked well in that the Marquee was secure for kids to play in and those with craft stalls did much better in terms of sales.
The queue for the food stall was continuous throughout the day and we appreciated the donation made by the operator of the stall to reflect the successful weeks trading that she had had with her delicious Caribbean Cooking.
The Magician /Childrens entertainer attracted a good crowd, and we had 3 great acts in the Church. First up was Amelia Street, a local duo with their own take on some classic rock and roll and pop numbers. They were followed by the Nepali Ladies dance group , the 7 Sisters who performed a set of dance and singing routines in the most beautiful blue velvet and embroidered dresses.
Finally there was the Vince Dunn Orchestra, some 17 strong and with a variety of well known numbers from the Benny Goodman,/Duke Ellington era.
But what made the evening so memorable was the light display during the last 30 minutes of the concert. A wonderful patchwork of shapes and images was projected onto the tensile roof above the chancel As the dusk deepened into night the pictures became more vivid. It was a beautiful finale to a memorable week.
