Let’s party all summer long (From The Oxford Times)

Let’s party all summer long

6:00pm Monday 13th February 2012 in Oxford By Damian Fantato

OXFORD’S premier party campaigners want to inspire a summer of fun at a series of workshops.

Oxford Streets for People is the campaign that aims to help neighbours club together and put on a party in the road.

With about 50 parties taking place across the city last year, Richard Bradley – who heads the Oxford Civic Society campaign – is hoping that 2012 will prove to be another bumper year for parties.

He said: “I am sure this will be a year with lots of street parties with all the festivities going on. There’s the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and I think a lot of people will have street parties for that but there’s also the Olympics.”

Mr Bradley hopes the people of Oxford get caught up in the Olympic spirit by holding parties involving sports and games in the streets.

“Now people are even starting to hold street parties for their own sake,” he added.

Oxford Streets for People will be holding a series of meetings around the city over the next two months to help local communities put on a street party.

Mr Bradley said: “Organising a street party is not complicated.

“Applying for a road closure means filling out a simple one-page form.

“Oxford City Council are extremely helpful and they encourage people to hold street parties.”

Mazz Image, who lives in Stile Road, Headington, organised a few street parties with her neighbours last year.

She said: “It definitely brought our street together.

“It is easy to disappear into your house and not communicate with your neighbours, but holding street parties has had a positive impact on our street.”

Already the people of East Oxford are hoping to close off four streets over the Queen’s Jubilee weekend between Saturday, June 2 and Tuesday, June 5.

Meanwhile Oxford Pride is planning a party in Paradise Street to celebrate its 10th anniversary on Saturday, June 16.