The Lewes Road Community Garden is celebrating its first birthday with a Mad Hatters Tea Party this Sunday.
The garden was first created by guerilla gardeners who seized the opportunity to transform a patch of land which had lain derelict for five years.
At the time, the site’s owners were happy to let them stay until the builders were due to start work, and in August 2009 they received planning permission and the gardeners were set to move on.
But soon afterwards, it was revealed one of the proposed tenants of the new shops will be the supermarket giant Tesco – and the other is likely to be a bookmakers.
This has prompted a sister campaign – Say No to Tesco on Lewes Road – to be set up, and its Facebook group now has almost 3,000 members.
Sunday’s party, which kicks off at 4pm, will feature tea, cake and bands, including Dan Donnelly, King Porter Stomp, Amateur Ninja Club and Ted Newman.
Guests are invited to bring a hat and a teapot, and a suggested donation of £4.
