There was a street party in 1977 to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee. Mary Rowe got together with neighbours and informally held the children’s party in the road outside her house. It appears that a white van was simply put across the road to prevent traffic.
In 1992, a Neighbourhood Watch Committee was formed at the instigation of Darkie Mitchell who lived at Eltham Cottage (55). He was apparently inspired by his niece. The inception meeting was held at the home (57) of Len and Mary Harding and included Dave and Rita Kelly together with Bryan Roberts, John Monger, Darkie Mitchell and others. The signs for the road were priced by the Council at £250 but Brian managed to acquire two at £19 each from Coldingley Prison who were making them and where he was working as a G.P.O. engineer (not as an inmate).
At the suggestion of Dave KELLY, it was decided that an Annual BBQ would bring neighbours together and publicise the Neighbourhood Watch. The first BBQ was held in the garden of number 59 on 18 July 1992. So each year the BBQ was held in one of the gardens. On occasions there a whole lamb being roasted and a barrel of beer being drunk together with a monster and seemingly endless raffle run by Roy ‘Tank’ Collinson.
By 2005, no garden could be volunteered to hold the growing numbers and so in 2006 as it was the centenary of the creation of the road, it was decided to hold the event in the road itself. Application was duly made to the Council and granted. So at Midday on 8 July the road suddenly fell silent of traffic and just as suddenly invaded by all the children who had found a new play space.
And where the children led, the adults followed. It was not without some ceremony with a speech by Doug Hamilton giving the history, the road ribbon being cut by Dot Collinson and Hilda Millard (who had lived all their lives in the road) and the cake being cut by John and Elsie Monger (the oldest couple in the road). The children had their own party and the adults had a BBQ and a well-stocked bar.
It was to be the template for future events.
Nearly every year thereafter (and twice in 2012 for the Queen’s Jubilee), the Street Party has been held. Usually there have been children’s games and an afternoon tea, sometimes a live band, always a BBQ and always dancing. There have been as many as 100 adults and 50 children. Apart from a couple of isolated times, the weather has been excellent. And the food has always been excellent.
During the Covid pandemic, there was no street party but it resumed in 2022.
Yew Tree Road Witley History 