Music and comedy stars threw their support behind a community street festival in aid of a Swiss Cottage special school.

Ham & High: Festival-goers at A Perfect Day. Picture: Nigel Sutton.Festival-goers at A Perfect Day. Picture: Nigel Sutton. (Image: � Nigel Sutton email pictures@nigelsuttonphotography.com)

Stand-up comedian Jimmy Carr attended A Perfect Day festival yesterday to show his support for Swiss Cottage School Development and Research Centre, in Avenue Road.

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sent a YouTube video message in advance wishing pupils and staff “a great day” at the festival, which took place over a 320m stretch of Avenue Road, including the school site.

Pop singer Eliza Doolittle, a former Channing School pupil, was also spotted among the crowds on the day.

Mr Carr, who lives near to the school, chatted to festival-goers and posed for photographs with fans before taking to the festival’s main stage to speak to the crowd and introduce the final music act.

He said: “Only a fraction of what the school offers is paid for by the local authority so they rely on your generosity and these fundraising events in order to do what they do.

“The only limit on what they do is their funds, if they had more money then they would just be doing more stuff. So give generously and keep them busy - the message of the day.

“This is about the best special needs school in the world. It changes how special needs kids are treated all over the country and all over the world.”

Mr Martin, whose mother is a special educational needs teacher, was given a tour of the school last year and performed Coldplay hit Paradise to pupils in the music suite during the visit.

Children also performed the school’s song When We Are Together for the rock star while he gave an impromptu piano rendition.

In a YouTube video recorded especially for the festival, Mr Martin said: “Myself and my best friend Phil came in last year, we had an amazing time hearing you sing the school anthem and letting us watch and enjoy your company.

“Have a great day! Lots of love from me and the whole of the band.”

Yesterday’s festival, open to the public between 12pm and 5.30pm, closed Avenue Road to traffic between Adelaide Road and Elsworthy Road.

There were a variety of musical performances across a main stage and a special Ham&High stage on the day.

Visitors could also take their pick from a wide choice of food stalls, as well as a silent auction and a host of funfair rides.

All money raised by the festival will go to the Pigs4Kids campaign, backed by the Ham&High, which supports the school’s new Development and Research Centre.

The festival, dreamed up by former Avenue Road resident Marsha Lee as a way of raising community awareness of the school’s work, was held for the first time in 2006 and again in 2008 and 2009 but was then put on hold during the construction of the school’s new world-class facilities, which opened in October 2012.

If you wish to donate to Pigs4Kids, please text “PIGS04”, followed by the amount you wish to donate (e.g “£5”), to 70070.

See Mr Martin’s YouTube video message and a picture gallery from the day above.