On Sunday I went along to the Southend Food Festival hoping to while away a few hours with friends.

In truth I was blown away by it all.

There were families enjoying the rides, friends enjoying the food, and more than a few of us singing along to the great acts on the stage.

After the riots, many residents were worried that our town wouldn’t recover emotionally, that our sense of community was shaken and wouldn’t be able to find itself again. Events like the Food Festival show just how wrong that mindset was.

Croydon is a bigger and stronger community now than ever before demonstrated by events like Food Festival and the dozens of Big Lunches that happened across the borough recently.

On Sunday we saw some of the best of what Croydon has to offer. If the mark of a strong community isn't strangers spontaneously chatting to each other without any awkwardness then I don’t know what is.

Events like the Food Festival demonstrate that the heart is back in Croydon and I for one am happy that it is.

Mario Creatura, central Croydon