Despite the drama unfolding two miles away at London Bridge, a planned Lantern Procession celebrating the history of the Thames ahead of the 400th anniversary of the sailing of the Mayflower from Rotherhithe, went ahead last Friday.
For months community groups and schools have been making their creations and for the first time in its three year history it was expanded to Rotherhithe and Bermondsey.
Starting from St Mary’s Churchyard, where the captain of the Mayflower is buried, who took the founding fathers of America to the New World – the procession finished at St James’ Church in Bermondsey off Jamaica Road. Another procession route, which started at the Blue Market Square on Southwark Park Road, Bermondsey, joined their Rotherhithe counterparts at St James’ Church at 4.30pm just two hours after the terror attack on London Bridge.
The parade is a culmination of the events honouring its close links to the Mayflower story.
Throughout November they held a family barn dance at the Mayflower Hall, in Neptune Street, Rotherhithe; a collection of creative writing and art work at Canada Water library, a Tales and Songs of Migration Concert and film screening at Sands Films in Rotherhithe.
On Saturday, the day after the procession the Finnish Church in Albion Street, Rotherhithe held a community show.
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