The pride of Hamilton’s Middletown neighbourhood goes on display tomorrow with a day of celebration.Home to such notable Bermudians as the late Justice Earl Seaton and his sister Ruth Seaton James, as well as former Postmaster General Gary Phillips and banker Philip Butterfield, Middletown will hold a block party to highlight its history and foster connections between neighbours.Justice Seaton was Bermuda’s first black judge. He mentored Bermuda’s current Chief Justice, Ian Kawaley, served as a diplomat, and became the Chief Justice of the Seychelles.His sister, Ruth Seaton James, served as Registrar General and became the first black female in Bermuda’s history to serve as head of a government department.“I really have nothing bad to say about this area. You couldn’t pay me to live anywhere else,” said physician Kyjuan Brown, the first doctor to come out of nearby CedarBridge Academy.“We’ve always felt the communal spirit, even though the area has had a negative reputation.”The ‘Yes Day’ at Parson’s Road Park was organised by residents in tandem with community groups the Bermuda Coalition and Imagine Bermuda.The event will include the Middletown Gombeys, rap performances from area youth and showcase a community mural. It starts at 1pm and features a 2.30pm presentation on the area’s vibrant natural and social history.Dr Brown said Middletown’s “ghetto” reputation strikes visitors from overseas as absurd.“The community is safe. I have no problems. Everyone is respectful; it’s my own neighbourhood watch. That’s the type of environment we foster in this particular part of town.”Now 31, he recalls moving to the area at the age of seven.“It was less transient then,” he said. “Growing up, there was a more communal atmosphere; all the guys would hang out together. Everyone would just come around. It wasn’t like you needed an invitation.”He said the Yes Day would provide an opportunity for residents to get to know one another again, adding: “Sometimes you don’t get to see your neighbours unless you have something like this function.”His father, plumber Hilton Brown, is a lifelong resident of the area, and today calls Fentons Drive home.Mr Brown recalled playing cricket and football in the roads of Middletown, and hopping the canal with his friends on Fridays as they came home from Central School and Bishop Spencer School.“We used to call it dirty up day,” he said. “We’d try to jump the ditch. Not all of us made it across.”Middletown has areas that “could be kept a little cleaner”, he said. Litter is occasionally a problem.“I haven’t noticed any drug activity around where I live. It’s fairly quiet. We don’t get a lot of loud music blasting. Young guys in the area are very respectful.”Mr Brown said he’d been invited to join in tomorrow’s fair.“I feel it’s something I should be doing. I’m almost like a senior in the neighbourhood.“We’re trying to get parents more sociable with each other. It’ll be a chance to get involved in some games and the children will follow suit.”Imagine Bermuda founder Glenn Fubler said the concept had come about through collaboration with fellow community group the Bermuda Coalition.“They’ve been working in this community, reviving neighbourhoods, and they approached us to make it happen,” Mr Fubler said.The Yes Day concept was developed by Imagine Bermuda as a way to combat antisocial behaviour. Two events were held by the group in 2011.Bermuda Coalition member Judy Burgess told The Royal Gazette: “The idea now is to make it into something continuous. It’s an example of residents working together and with other groups.”Her group has listened to concerns of residents in North East Hamilton, she said.“A lot of neighbours didn’t know one another. There were challenges with lighting and trash. One suggestion residents had was a block party. This will also let them know the people who have come up in that community. We wanted to bring that history to the residents.”