Bright Sparkes Living Place

Sparke Street seems very quiet this morning ... I wonder if everyone is as exhausted as me? The street event was great and it all went off without a hitch. So many adults and children appeared on the street once the council barricades went up. Groups clustered around the kids party at the northern end and then slowly gravitated towards Paul's barbecue in the middle of the street, enticed by the smell of sausages and onions. Talking about sausages - thanks to the local Georgetown butcher who donated them, and to Tammy for chopping the onions!

There were people from Sparke Street, other locals, friends and family members and many interesting tales were narrated of life in the street. I overheard stories of conflicts in the 1930s over the Catholic/Protestant divide, the types of work people have in the street (jockeys, police, nurses, etc) and I really enjoyed meeting the family that used to live in my house. Those children found it very strange to come inside and see odd furniture in 'their' house!

Kids charged around the semi-darkness on their bikes and scooters and people strolled along to admire the many variations of lanterns and decorations. The lanterns looked fabulous although the southerly breeze was doing its best to snuff out the candles (note to self: use battery operated LEDs next time).

If there was a prize for the best lantern, it would have to be awarded to Betty for her masterful creations. Thanks, Betty for getting right into the spirit!

It was fantastic to see artist Ken O'Regan come along to see the results of his workshop twirling in the breeze and I look forward to seeing his photos. In the meantime, here are a few from me ... thank you Sparke Street for a truly memorable night!