Bexhill's big lunch leads street party atmosphere

Dreamed up by the Eden Project and launched last year with almost a million participants throughout the UK, the now annual event aims to give neighbours an opportunity to get to know one another better.

It certainly seemed to work in Bexhill, where one of the organisers, Jim Truscott, said: "A great time was had by all.

"A huge paella was cooked and brought to the tables with accompaniment from bagpipers, and people also brought along their own food to share.

"A children's treasure hunt was organised involving shops along Sea Road, and an open mic gave people a chance to contribute songs and jokes to the proceedings.

"We also had a quiz about the history of Sea Road from Julian Porter, curator of Bexhill Museum, and all-in-all it brought out a real community spirit among people living round about."

The ethos of the Big Lunch was explained by the Eden Project, based in Cornwall, whose spokesman said: "We believe the world can get better by working together, with nature, optimism and common sense.

"We know that when people get together, we become more positive and start to sort out some serious stuff. This day in July enables the building of new friendships that can be enjoyed for the rest of the year."