Hundreds of locals attended the annual Surbiton Festival this Saturday . Two KU economics students plans for a quiet morning in were disrupted by the commotion outside their flat.
Sara Costa
From hangover hell to musical market
“We had gone out the night before, so all we wanted to do was sleep in,” said Amy. “Suddenly we heard bagpipes and drums outside our window, and our whole flat smelled like carnival food.
“We got a text from a friend who said something was going on in Surbiton, so we just thought ‘Might as well go check it out’.”
The noise outside their window was actually part of the Grand Parade, the big finale event of the two-day festival, and the smell came from the market stalls lining St. Andrew’s Road and Victoria Road.
They soon encountered their friend, a fellow KU student, who was on her way to Sainsbury’s when she found it nearly impossible to reach the end of the road. The street market consisted of more than 100 stalls dedicated to all types of food, specialties, and arts and crafts.
Fire brigade fun
While many students could be found browsing the stalls, the festival was most popular with children, who had a choice of two giant bouncy castles to play on. The fire brigade were also there to show children how a fire hose works.
Later in the afternoon, Amy and Shobhanna were joined by some friends from the Surbiton area. Although they were weighed down by bags of souvenirs and cupcakes, the students could not resist to buy some candyfloss before heading home.
“I think the festival was a really good idea, especially for local businesses to get their products out there, but honestly, the roads are far too crowded and I’m getting claustrophobic,” said Shobhanna before leaving to join the extremely long line at the candyfloss stall.