Reggae night gets Gayhurst school in the celebrating mood

THE sounds, smells and tastes of Jamaica were in abundance as a Hackney primary school celebrated Black History Month.

Gayhurst school in London Fields marked the occasion with the first Reggaehurst,

The event, which was organised by the school’s parent-teacher association, Communities of Gayhurst School, was a sell-out success and included beaded hair decorations for the children.

Parents and staff belted out reggae karaoke performances, including a Bob Marley duet by Hugh Vivian and Diane Reynolds, the head and deputy head of the school in Gayhurst Road.

The school’s chefs cooked a Caribbean feast, including jerk chicken, curried goat, spinach and pumpkin curry, plantain, rice and peas and parents brought along dishes of food to share, too.

The crowd danced to Gayhurst’s own reggae star, FJ Junior, who entertained with renditions of lovers’ rock classics, as well as a song from his own album, before DJ Chris Quayle rounded off the evening.

All the money raised will go towards projects at the school – although no mention has been made of singing lessons for the teachers!