By Zoe Osterloh
May 31 2020, 08.00
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A street in Twickenham has reached the final stage of a national competition to be named as Britain’s Friendliest Street.
Cedar Avenue is one of just ten nominated streets to have reached the final voting stage of the competition run by In Good Company, a street art initiative which works with artists, businesses and developers to bring inspiring artwork to Britain’s streets.
The winner of the competition will receive a series of posters with positive messages which can be placed around their street.
Cedar Avenue, a tree lined avenue with approximately 65 houses, currently stands in first place position with 28% of the vote, but it faces strong competition from Eden Crescent in Leeds and Pemberton Road in Wigan on 28% and 27% respectively.
Photographer Viv Lawrence, 71, moved into her Cedar Avenue home in 1980.
After she faced difficulties finding online shopping slots during the lockdown, her neighbours took to texting her whenever they found an available delivery time.
She added: “It’s a fantastic street, and everybody looks after everybody.
“We’re trying to think of every single angle to get votes at the moment, but we’re very much up against Leeds at the moment.”
The street becomes a tourist attraction each year as residents decorate their homes for Halloween.
The group of neighbours also hold street parties to celebrate major events such as VE Day.
Now, during the lockdown, residents clap every Thursday for all of the key workers who live in Cedar Avenue, including a paramedic, a nurse and a physiotherapist.
The Twickenham street is the only street in London to have reached the final stage of the competition.
Meena Ladwa, who works in recruitment, has lived in Cedar Avenue for more than ten years and is a Neighbourhood Watch coordinator.
She said: “We have an amazing bunch of lovely residents here on Cedar Avenue. We have organised street parties, decorated our houses on Halloween and lit up the street over Christmas.
“Having setup a WhatsApp group the support for each other has been even greater. The real community spirit came into action during the pandemic.
“To win this competition would be amazing and the posters for the streets would be a constant reminder of what we all went through and the sacrifices we all made during this pandemic and not to forget that we should continually be kind and show support for each other.”
Voting ends on today: https://www.ingoodcompany.vote/
Feature Image Credit: Viv Lawrence
