Seven years ago, I had this idea of getting a few friends together for a picnic in Regents Park. And I suggested that they also invited their own friends.

And so the “Friends and Friend’s Friends Picnic” was born.

I have held such a picnic every year now for the last 7 years and this summer it will be the 8th picnic. Some years we have had glorious sunshine and other years torrential rain and even gale force winds. Yet a hard core of die-hard friends have attended every year.

So I am proud and delighted to announce this year’s picnic on Sunday 12th July in Regents Park.

The idea is simply to get a lot of friends and their friends together. I invite all my friends and they invite all their friends and they invite their friends and so on……and before we know, there will be 100’s of friends, new and old, coming together in a spirit of fun, unity and playfulness.

Everyone is invited to bring their own food and drinks plus some extra to share. We will also be playing football, Frisbee, hula hoops etc for fun, so bring those trainers and sports gear. And of course children are most welcome. If you haven’t got any, borrow some for the day!

We may also be having some African drumming and singing. Bring along any musical instrument that you would like to play.

People ask me why Regents Park? Well, to me it is the best maintained and the most diverse of the London parks and has so much to offer.

It really is a place to make hay whilst the sun shines

Regents Park is the reason why I chose to live where I do now – I visit the park 3 to 4 times a week, sometimes quite early in the morning .

If you have not yet visited the “secret garden”, then I am happy to give personally guided tours 🙂

There are lots of things you can do in Regents Park. There is boating on the lake, heronry and waterfowl collections to visit, and of course the world famous Rose garden.

Please note that this picnic will be happening no matter what the weather is on the day! We are in the middle of a heat wave right now and chances are it will still be very hot on our picnic day, so it should be a great day out for all of us.

The details are as follows:-

Date: Sunday 12th July 2009
Time: 1pm till 9pm
Location: Regents Park at the London Mosque end. Use the Mosque as your landmark, as its minaret is visible from almost anywhere else in the park.

Directions:

Enter the Park via Hanover Gate, turn left and you are there. You will see a children’s play area. The chosen picnic spot is the whole of this semicircular area of grass and there is room for at least a 1000 people.

Parking : You must pay for parking within Regents Park even on Sundays till 6.30pm. Alternatively, you CAN park free on single yellow lines on Prince Albert Road, and around St Johns Wood High St.

Nearest Tube stations: – St Johns Wood and Baker Street

For further clarification, please call me on 07803 950 250. Keep this number with you on the day, in case you are lost. Remember that Regents Park is huge.

Please invite all your friends and ask them to invite their friends. Lets see how many people we can get there this year – the largest crowd we have had so far is almost 300.

Do let me know if you are attending. The theme for this year’s picnic is “Make It Happen!”.

So that we get an idea of the numbers coming, please confirm your attendance by mailing me at Friends Picnic 2009

You can also confirm you are coming via Facebook .

For further information and clarification, just contact me.

If you are not able to come to London for this picnic, then no matter where you are in the world, how about organising your own? Tips to hold your own “Friends and Friend’s Friends” Picnic:-

1. Choose a date (if it is not Sunday, 12th July)

2. Choose a venue. Make sure it is large enough to hold the number of people you expect to come.
Tell people that the picnic will go ahead no matter what the weather.

If it is winter where you are, then hold an indoor picnic!

3. Create a theme for the picnic – such as “Friendship, Fun and Hope”, let your imagination run wild!

4. Invite everyone to bring their own food and drinks plus some extra to share. Arrange some games and sports if the venue permits this.

5. Insist that people bring their children. If they don’t have any, ask them to borrow some for the day!

6. Choose an unusual theme or activity such as African drumming and singing. Invite people to bring along any musical instrument they would like to play.

7. Also invite people to come and share some of their unique skills such as dancing, juggling etc.

8. Be prepared to have a lot of fun!

Enjoy!

I look forward to seeing you all on the 12th.