More than 5,500 Thamesmead residents, business owners and pupils came together to celebrate 50 years of the town in a festival Saturday (July 14).

The festival, held around Southmere Lake where the Gooch family became the first to move into Thamesmead in 1968, featured live music, a carnival and street food from Thamesmead-based vendors.

The carnival alone was made up of more than 200 residents and was made a part of the celebration after people in the area were given an input into the celebrations.

Peabody, organiser of the festival, has thanked all participants and visitors for making the day "a great success."

Adriana Marques, head of culture at Peabody, said: "I hope that our 50th Birthday Festival, plus other events we have hosted this summer has started to show the rest of London how much we have to offer.

"There is so much cultural talent here, and we’ll continue to work with our local creatives to make sure they get the most out of Thamesmead, and that collectively we put Thamesmead on the map.”

Jane Tudor, who is on the Thamesmead Steering Group, said: "It was wonderful to see all ages and all cultures enjoying themselves together.”

Other members of the Steering Group said they enjoyed being a part of the festival's organisation and talking to other people to find out what they wanted from the day.

A number of celebrations have taken place across Thamesmead in 2018 to mark its 50th birthday.