Last Saturday I went along to the annual ‘Field Day’ music festival in Victoria Park. Amazingly, the threatening rainclouds managed to hold off, and everyone was relaxing in the sun, lying on the grass and enjoying the music.
I took the stage from US singer-songwriter Willy Mason (a hard act to follow, it goes without saying!)
The atmosphere was amazing. It was great to see so many people enjoying themselves in the heart of our borough.
My job was to welcome them all to Tower Hamlets, and I did so to encouraging cheers. I talked about music as a universal language, understood and appreciated by all, transcending barriers of class, culture, race and language. It was a theme the audience clearly warmed to.
I told the gathered crowds about the threat from the far-Right English Defence League to stage a racist march through East London on September 3rd. Tower Hamlets is no place for hate of any kind. I invited everyone to join me, and the local community, in opposing this divisive threat.
All in all, it was a very pleasant day – I heard some great music, I met some great people and had a game of ping-pong, courtesy of the English Table Tennis Association. Definitely a recommended day out, and a brilliant way to showcase the best of our borough to people from all around. I look forward to attending next year’s event.
Mayor Lutfur Rahman 