Photo gallery: Rain fails to dampen fun at annual Easter egg rolling at Lauderdale House
Easter Egg decorating and rolling at Lauderdale House. Picture: Nigel Sutton - Credit: Nigel Sutton
Rain looked set to ruin one of Highgate’s most popular traditions this Easter but luckily the clouds parted long enough for an annual egg-rolling competition to go ahead.
Easter Egg decorating and rolling at Lauderdale House. Winners with 'Sister Mary'. Picture: Nigel Sutton - Credit: Nigel Sutton
As hundreds around Camden celebrated the holiday, more than 70 children and their parents spent the morning of Easter Sunday decorating eggs at Lauderdale House in Highgate Hill ahead of the Great Egg Roll.
Mary Portas drew the raffle and presented prizes to winners of the Primrose Hill Easter Egg hunt on 19.04.14. at Primrose Hill Community Centre. Pictured with Humpty Dumpty (Phil Cowan) and participants and organisers. Picture: Polly Hancock - Credit: Archant
Drizzle drove everyone inside but spirits weren’t dampened by the soggy weather, with children making their eggs into hedgehogs, yellow fluffy chicks and a hairy Humpty Dumpty.
Patrick Baillon, butcher at Barretts Butchers in England's Lane, and creator of the latest window display, featuring a boat made out of meat. Picture: Polly Hancock - Credit: Archant
The rain stopped just in time for the main event where children competed against each other by rolling their eggs down a hill in surrounding Waterlow Park.
Chocolate eggs were on offer for the first, second and third-placed contestants but most came away with several Easter treats after finding eggs around the park in a traditional Easter hunt.
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Katherine Ives, director of Lauderdale House, said: “We were really very lucky to be able to get outside to do the judging on the lawn. People really seemed to have fun and enjoy it.”
In Primrose Hill, “Queen of Shops” Mary Portas, who headed a government review into the state of British high streets in 2011, led a week-long treasure hunt.
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Competitors had to search in 12 independent shops for artworks themed around nursery rhymes that were specially created for the event by local artists.
The hunt ended in a prize draw on Saturday with Ms Portas and organiser Phil Cowan, dressed as Humpty Dumpty, handing out gifts at Primrose Hill Community Centre in Hopkinson’s Place.
Mr Cowan, 47, of Albert Terrace, said: “People were really charmed by the art pieces, so much so that we’ve decided to hold a silent auction at Primrose Hill Library where all the works have been collected together and can be viewed in the windows in Sharpleshall Street.” Sealed bids can be left at the library and the winners will be contacted on Tuesday, May 6.
Butcher Patrick Baillon decided to celebrate the holiday by creating a unique shop window display.
Mr Baillon, 51, of Barretts of Belsize in England’s Lane, Belsize Park, turned a 26kg butchered lamb into a ship, complete with a mast patriotically flying the flag of St George.
