Vancouver Morris Men are coming to St. David’s Big Lunch on June 1 to help parishioners welcome friends and neighbours to a U.K.-inspired block party in the church parking lot.
The familiar English summer village spectacle of adult Morris Men skipping about waving white handkerchiefs heralds the end of the “dark“ season when the Morris Men change from dark clothes and blackened faces, to whites, colourful ribbons, sashes, and jingling bells.
The group will perform England’s South Midlands (Cotswold Morris)–one of the graceful but virile spring and summer dances–as part of the entertainment program. And while the Morris Men take a breather between their vigorous dances, Clarion Highland Dancers of Tsawwassen will display the intricate footwork of some of Scotland’s traditional and energetic strathspeys and reels.
Since its beginning in 2009, thousands of Big Lunches have taken place in towns, villages and hamlets across the U.K. and the Commonwealth on a designated Big Lunch date with more than 8.5 million people sitting down together and getting to know their neighbours.
This new-to-Canada way of bringing together parishioners, friends and neighbours around a Big Lunch table began in this part of the Commonwealth with St. David’s Queen’s Diamond Jubilee Big Lunch in 2012.
New this year is a plant sale, organized by Claire Forster and slated to take place in the Jubilee Community Garden area of the St. David’s Church property.
Face painting, pavement chalk drawing, games and a Bouncy Castle are on the agenda for the younger set, and for one and all the key components of a picnic – BBQs, potluck buffet, beverages and ice cream.
Listen for the song written in England for Big Lunch 2013. You will hear St. David’s songsters say it all:
“Out on our street, there’s a party today,
Bunting is flying and sausages frying,
We’ve set out the tables and made fruit punch…”
Neighbours in the vicinity of St. David’s Anglican Church on 51A Street are invited to sit at the Big Lunch table at noon on Sunday, June 1.
–Submitted by Elizabeth Murray
