Carnival

We missed carnival this year but it is a tradition that I love. Our local is one of the earliest in the circuit which feels odd to me, as a child I associated it with being tucked up in scarves and hats that had probably been brought out for the first time that year. Here it is more of a late summer event so a light coat will usually suffice.



This fuzzy picture is very much like my early memories of carnival, blinded by lots of magical lights!

West country carnivals have a rich history, the original carnival in Bridgewater dates back to 1605 and is related to the celebrations of bonfire night (Wikipedia article). They are big fund raisers for charity and I took them for granted as a child and didn't realise until recently that they are not nation wide. I can still remember the excitement of being bundled up to visit my uncle, we would walk from his house to the route of the parade and, enjoying chips, would be awed by the blinding lights of the floats.



I can remember wishing that I could be a majorette and being amazed at how fast they would twirl their batons. But the highlight for me was always the marching bands, there is something very moving about live music. Though seeing them dressed up as Spidermen and performing silly routines along the way definitely added some giggles to the event.