Florentine food, fun and friendship in Farland Way as Derry community enjoys ‘La Dolce Vita’ at Big Lunch

Residents young and old got a chance to experience ‘La Dolce Vita’ at the special Italian-themed get together with pizza and ice-cream all round.

"It was like being in Italy!” says Margaret, after the event which was bathed in glorious sunshine worthy of Tuscany.

The Big Lunch is a UK-wide initiative of the Eden Project Communities, designed to unite people through food, friendship and fun.

This has been embraced by the local Woven Housing Association officer who has been putting on the annual street party for a decade and a half.

"It has really grown every year. I have absolutely loved doing it. I'm really proud to have kept it going for this length of time and delighted that over the years the numbers have increased.

"Beyond a shadow of a doubt when you have neighbours and friends coming together like that it's a great social bond. People know one another, they understand one another and it's lovely to know that at events like this people have a chance to come along, speak, chat and have their voices heard as well, in a happy positive environment,” she says.

Margaret adds that thanks to the Italian-theme the estate became a ‘sea of lemon’.

"We did pizzas. We had Cornettos, fresh fruit and tossed salads. It was lovely. And we were very fortunate to have Ritchie Remo who was a hit with young and old.

"He did everything from ‘Baby Shark’ right through to 'The Chapel on the Hill'. He catered for all ages and tastes. There was children’s stuff, music for teenagers, party-oriented music and country music.

"He played fidlle the whole time. He was on top of tables and on top of chairs and had the crowd clapping and applauding. He even had the children bowing the fiddle so they were actually playing the tunes.”

It was a bittersweet event for Margaret and the community of Farland Way following the loss of friend and supporter Danny McNamee following a battle with cancer in February.

“Danny was there at every Big Lunch. Every year he did a lot of the lifting and helped with setting up the whole thing. He was diagnosed with cancer last year. and we lost him in February. This was in memory of him.”

Margaret confided that this will be the last year of the Big Lunch on the scale the community has become accustomed to, although she has no intention of going anywhere and will remain a fixture of the local area in the years ahead.

Events like these, she says, do so much to build a community.

"It brings people out. It gets them connected. It gets them chatting. People who maybe normally wouldn't see one another from one month to the next. It's great for that.

“It's great for people who live alone. It carers for all ages so there is intergenerational interaction from the young right though to the elderly who have years of wisdom.”