Ilkeston - Carnival Substitute
w/e 14 June 2015
All of this week's pictures were
taken with a Kodak DX6490
I had planned to feature images from this year's Carnival here
and had even picked up a programme (above left) but the weather
forecast for Saturday was not good and our worst fears were confirmed
when news spread on Twitter and Facebook that the event had been
cancelled. Erewash Borough Council meanwhile were also tweeting
(above right) about an indoor event that was taking place at
the museum.
I had hoped to be standing somewhere on the Market Place around
lunchtime to watch the floats pass by but the persistent overnight
rain continued throughout Saturday and even some of the market
traders didn't take up their usual positions.
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An afternoon visit to the Rutland Recreation Ground showed puddles
on the surface where the main arena would have been which contributed
to the reasons why the carnival had been cancelled. It was a
huge disappointment to all involved not least the organisers,
the people who had spent hours preparing costumes and decorating
floats, the charity stall holders who missed out on an afternoon
of raising much needed funds and of course the general public
at large.
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There was talk about a contingency plan and why an alternative
location couldn't be used but in all honesty it would not have
been safe for children standing on the back of lorries trundling
up Bath Street in the pouring rain. My own Plan B was to resort
to images taken earlier like this one on Victoria Park where
children from Chaucer Junior School busied themselves helping
the council workers plant out the newly designed flower beds.
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The project is to recreate the original design from when the
Park first opened and is part of a bigger scheme that will see
many enhancements to Victoria Park funded by a Heritage Lottery
grant. With the children's help the empty pots soon mounted up.
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On Friday I heard that something had happened at the museum and
the decorated gates at the entrance showed that something was
afoot.
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A seat in the gardens too had received the same treatment and
was decorated with a string of knitted flowers.
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In fact trees, railings and another seat had been what I believe
is know as "Yarn Bombed" and it was all in anticipation
of the Big Knit event which was planned for the following day.
Then preliminary visit to the museum also formed part of my Plan
B bearing in mind the weather forecast!
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On Saturday we returned to the museum where the Lally Gallery
had been taken over by a number of ladies all armed with knitting
needles in what was a world wide event to knit in public. They
were well supplied with balls of wool and plenty of drinks and
apparently gentlemen and children were also involved in the event
but not whilst we were there.
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All sorts of garments and decorations were being knitted and
another lady at the museum was adding knitted flowers on to a
piece of fabric.
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The museum was not the only place in Ilkeston taking part in
the Big Knit and another group had gathered at Dragonflies shop
on the Market Place. I don't knit myself but if I was to join
a group I think it would be this one as they supplemented their
drinks and the clack-clack-clack of the needles with cake! I'm
easily pleased.
Link to Carnivals Index
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