Summer
Newham's free Summer Of Fun
Under the Stars
Around 42,000 people flocked to Newham's four-day Under The Stars music spectacular, which this year celebrated the borough's status as host of the 2012 Olympic Games and Paralympic Games.
The annual free event organised by Newham Council saw crowds dancing and singing in Central Park, East Ham, to the sounds of top acts including The Rat Pack, The Bootleg Beatles, Bjorn Again, Asian chart topper Jay Sean and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.
Sunday night's classical music concert, which culminated in a huge display of fireworks, had a sporting theme with appearances from Olympic gold medallist Tessa Sanderson CBE and former Olympic cyclist Tony Doyle MBE. They were joined by 2012 hopefuls, swimmer Tom Brown and fencer Alex Savin.
The official Olympic Handover Flag flew throughout the four days. There were also exciting video presentations starring Newham people performing Olympic-inspired feats and reflecting on their dreams and ambitions for 2012.
A charity collection throughout the event is expected to raise around £2,000 for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research, though the money is still being counted.
Mayor of Newham, Sir Robin Wales, said: "This year's Under The Stars has been yet another huge success with a brilliant line-up of performers. It was fantastic to see so many residents having a good time and enjoying themselves.
"A lot of hard work went into making it happen. Numbers were up on last year and hopefully even more people will come along in 2009. It also shows that Newham knows how to put on big trouble free events ahead of the 2012 Games. The Games are a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us to raise the profile of the borough and inspire people to participate in sport and healthy lifestyles.
"Residents were already excited about the 2012 Games, but the fact that Team GB did so well in Beijing has only increased the feeling of excitement and anticipation. That was certainly the impression that came across at Under The Stars."
