Look back just five years in our archives, and the world can seem impossibly distant.
This article would have been perfectly normal just a few months ago. A picnic that would now be viewed as a mass gathering and inconceivable now without social distancing, masks and handwashing.
A popular picnic on a grand scale is returning this weekend.
Now in its second year, the 'Great Picnic in the Park' will take place from 3pm to 6pm on Sunday (September 6) at Highams Park field off Charter Road.
Over 500 people visited last year's free event, organised by the Friends of the Highams Park (FOTHP) and the Highams Residents Association.
This year's picnic has a Victorian theme and will be packed with traditional-style outdoor games, including the egg and spoon race, coconut shy, welly wanging and three-legged races.
A highlight of the day will be a tug of war competition between the Woodford Rugby Club and punters at The Royal Oak pub in Hale End Road.
Visitors are advised to bring their own chairs, blankets and picnic. There will be ice creams, refreshments and children's entertainment on the day.
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