ROSE Hill residents celebrated the Nepalese New Year on Saturday, and partied like it was 2068!

Residents gathered at Rose Hill Primary School to honour the estate’s Nepalese residents.

The community follows the Bikram Sambat Nepali Calendar, which is 56 years and 8½ months ahead of the Gregorian calendar.

And New Year’s Day falls in the middle of April instead of January 1.

The Nepalese community recently took part in OxClean, helping to blitz litter around the estate.

Chitra Thapa, spokesman for Nepalese Community Oxfordshire, said: “We were delighted to help out with OxClean and clear litter from the streets.

“Quite a few Nepalese people live in the Rose Hill area so the school is a good venue for the celebrations.

“There were two parties at the school at the weekend, one on Friday and one on Saturday, and people gathered there to celebrate the Nepalese New Year.”

The Sheriff of Oxford, city councillor Colin Cook was among those who attended the Saturday party.

He said: “There was a big gathering of Nepalese families in the school hall and there were lots of speeches and plenty of food laid on, including curry dishes.

“About 50 families came along with their kids and there were a few ex-Gurkhas among them. There was also some traditional Nepalese dancing.”

Last month, Headington city councillor Ruth Wilkinson, who lives in Rose Hill, wrote a letter to the Oxford Mail thanking members of the Nepalese community for joining the clean-up.

She wrote: “I would like to say a big thank you to the 26 people who helped clean up the Rose Hill estate.

“Thank you to Chitra Thapa and all his family and friends who helped the Rose Hill Tenants and Residents’ Association.”