The true spirit of food for friends yeah!

Last weekend we participated in Totterdown’s annual Arts Trail. This little local event is a very Bristolian affair: people up and down the streets of our little community open their doors up to all comers who can browse their art collections, handmade cushions and random assorted crafty things, with plenty for sale and lots to look at.

Of course, most people come just to rubberneck at their neighbours’ houses, but there are a staggering number of accomplished artists and musicians displaying their talents too.

We joined in this year for the first year ever and made some food for sale at our friends’ open house exhibition: toffee apples, strawberry shortcake, treacle tart, sausage rolls and pizza. We were up til 11pm on Friday and Saturday night, up to our elbows in dough, but it was well worth it. It was a fantastic event and very sociable; I think it typified the spirit of Food for Friends Yeah! and brought us in even better contact with our lovely neighbours plus a few that we didn’t know so well. It’s such fun – next year we’re considering doing a special ‘food as art’ display with some famous still lifes recreated in foodie form and some avant garde masterpieces too, just for fun.

It got me thinking about the street party we were involved in organising in the summer too. Food is just such a great way to get together and share, and our party was an event that gave us a chance to feel part of the community and get to know the varied and amazing people we live near. It’s been the high point of the year.

I love the fact that within Richmond St, we have two rows of coloured houses filled with the most creative and interesting people, many of whom work at home during the day, and this occasion gave us a chance to get our of our little boxes and meet each other. From it, we’ve become better friends and have started up a book club and occasional babysitting club and may develop other things as time goes on. Someone was muttering about a dining club, where you eat different courses at each others’ houses too.

If this is something you think you’d like to be involved in, check out the Big Lunch website www.thebiglunch.com. You can sign up in advance and will then get a free pack to help organise a street party in 2012. Matt’s sensational sausage rolls, handmade, easy to make and flavoured with thyme and sage, were the hit of the arts trail last weekend and we’ll be putting up a recipe in the near future for those who requested it and for anyone to use next year.

We’re going to do a bigger and better street party next year – if you’re in the area, please come along!

About Laura

Laura Dixon has written 61 posts on this blog.

Travel writer, hotel reviewer and general fan of baking, bakeries and cakes.

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