The Commonwealth Fair

By Patricia Rodgers

There are 54 Countries in the Commonwealth, in Africa, Asia, The Americas, Europe, and the Pacific. The Commonwealth Fair is held annually on the second Saturday of November, at Kensington Town Hall. The fair is held to raise money for the Commonwealth Girl’s Education Fund. It starts at 11.30am and finishes at 6pm. To go costs £5 for adults and £3 for children.

I like to go with my family – I would queue up for 20 minutes. My family will arrive later because they have to travel from outside London. We don’t know what the weather would be like. You just have to dress up warm! It can be warm, once you are in the Town Hall, but there is a cloakroom on the ground floor.

When you arrive inside, the organiser will put a band on your wrist. You would also be given a programme to let you know what is taking place on the main stage. The town hall has 3 floors. The ground floor is for craft and many other things to see and purchase.

The middle floor is where the main hall is and that is where the main events take place. Singing and dancing It is very lively and colourful. The main hall sells many craft as well. The middle floor is where I would buy most of my craft, it can range from spices, homemade bread, jewellery and many more. A few years ago, I bought a bottle of wine from Cyprus, it was very enjoyable. I also bought myself a bright yellow CD case from Canada and I still use it.

The top floor is the food hall, where there is many different variety from the Commonwealth countries. There is seating on the top floor where you’ll have a lovely view of the stage. There is a lift as well. The Commonwealth Fair is a great place to visit in November. I love going there every year. The entertainment on the main stage is different every year, and there is so much to see. It is a lovely day out for everyone.

Patricia Rodgers

This article originally appeared in Connect Hackney’s magazine Hackney Senior. Download a pdf version of the magazine here.