Havering’s festival of lights

EAST met west this weekend as Havering’s Asian community helped celebrate Diwali.

Around 150 people enjoyed traditional dances, songs and food at the Hindu ‘festival of lights,’ held at Greenfields community centre in Elm Park on Saturday.

The special event was hosted by the Havering Asian Social and Welfare Association (HASWA) and included local dignitaries Upminster MP Angela Watkinson, Havering deputy mayor Cllr Melvin Wallace and Barking & Dagenham Mayor Cllr Nirmal Singh.

The jam-packed evening included the Panjabi Gidh, a traditional ladies’ dance, with even Cllr Wallace admitting to busting a few moves of his own.

He told the Recorder: “Everyone got up to dance – even me and Angela Watkinson.

“They were so friendly and it was nice to learn a bit more about Asian culture.”