‘I Love Stokey’ day proves a success and organiser says it wasn’t intended to replace Stoke Fest

Shoppers took time out from browsing the shelves to enjoy music and dancing in Stoke Newington on Saturday to celebrate ‘I Love Stokey’ day.

Shops and businesses on the High Street and Church Street offered discounts throughout the day and decorated their shop-fronts with balloons to show they were taking part.

One of the organisers, Rosanne Berry, who owns Rosa’s Lingerie in Church Street, said the day was a definite success and hit back at any criticisms that it didn’t live up to Stoke Fest, the Clissold Park music festival which was cancelled in 2009.

She said: “I’m very pleased. We all pulled together and did what we meant to do.

“I did hear a few comments of people saying ‘it’s not exactly Stoke Fest’. We weren’t trying to reproduce Stoke Fest, this was a local event to showcase businesses and shops and hopefully they will all get good feedback from this.”

The Fire Station in Church Street was a focus for celebrations including a dance workout with Sunstone Women’s Fitness Team and children got to unfurl a giant parachute.

Outside the William Patten Primary School in Church Street the Nostalgia Street Band also entertained festival-goers while the London UKeing ukulele group worked their way through the crowds.

Rosanne said: “It got people out and about and I hope they were looking at the shops.

“There was certainly more people than normal. It’s all about making people aware that they can get all they need in Stoke Newington.”