Almost 1,000 people visited this year’s May Fair at St Peter’s Eaton Square, raising nearly £20,000 for the church appeal.

Children enjoyed a toy stall, face painting, a bouncy castle and classic village fête games including splat the rat, guess how many and a coconut shy.

Circus performers on stilts wowed the crowds and craft and drama workshops took place throughout the day.

Stalls selling homemade cakes, secondhand clothes, books and flowers lined the church, and a raffle drawn by the Lord Mayor of Westminster included prizes such as afternoon tea at The Ritz.

Reverend Nick Papadopulos said he was "delighted" the event was such a success. "It really was a fabulous day, we did extremely well and raised a lot of money," he said. "But even more importantly, there was a wonderful family atmosphere about the fair. It was fantastic."

Cash raised will go towards the St Peter’s Eaton Square 2012 appeal, which will pay for improvements to the church including new works of art, better lighting and renovations to the portico. The church has now raised almost two-thirds of its £100,000 target.

This is an edited version of an article that first appeared in Belgravia Magazine