More than 1,000 people celebrated the arrival of spring with a May Day Fair yesterday.

Families and friends turned up to the event in Lloyd Park, Walthamstow, where they were greeted with the colourful dresses of maypole dancers and the enthusiastic entrants of a dog show.

People brought their own picnics or bought food from stalls and relaxed in the sun as children got their faces painted and played on a bouncy castle between noon and 4pm at the park, which reopened last September after a £5 million refurbishment.

Juliet Lopez-Real, a member of the Friends of Lloyd Park, which organised the fair, said: “It was fantastic. There were so many people there, I don’t think I’ve seen such numbers since it reopened.

“The community is really strong here and there were people from all walks of life and all ages too. Everyone mixed together and bumped into people they’ve never met before as well as friends and neighbours.”

The 39-year-old said the new dog show was well-attended. Prizes were awarded for the dog with the waggiest tail, best paw shake, Best in Stow and other categories.