Ilkeston - It's Carnival Time Again
w/e 12 June 2011
All this week's pictures were taken
with a Kodak DX6490
The roads were closed for a short period on Saturday lunchtime
and as I arrived on the Market Place at 12:45pm the Long Eaton
Militaires had paused after the march up Bath Street to give
a display before continuing to lead the parade to the Rutland
Recreation Ground.
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The band was closely followed by a car carrying this year's Carnival
Queen seen here waving in right royal fashion to the assembled
crowds from the car and again on the rec. The organisers of the
Carnival, the Ilkeston Lions Club had chosen twelve year old
Milla Rigby, a pupil at St John Houghton School who was quoted
as saying "I'm really excited about it.”
The parade consisted of the usual array of colourful floats representing
various groups and organisations.
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There were also groups on foot too including some walking tents
from a local Scout Group.
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Local businesses were also represented in the parade including
this float from Weleda.
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As the end of the parade neared, most of the people watching
turned to follow or walk alongside it to the many attractions
on the rec.
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As one of the last lorries turned from South Street into Queens
Street, I was close enough to capture this shot of a number of
masked young ladies which was indicative of the amount of work
and effort that had gone into the preparation of the floats.
No sooner had the lorries pulled up on the rec than the displays
on them were quickly dismantled to allow them a quick exit while
the fun fair picked up momentum; owners queued to enter their
pets in the Dog Show and an old fashioned barrel organ played
many well-known tunes.
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Refreshment stalls meant that many people had Saturday lunch
of a burger and/or chips but I hope these two girls found something
a little more substantial than Mister Whippy's ice cream although
it did look rather tempting.
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One of the exhibits that did attract a lot of attention at the
carnival was this mini-caravan together with another similar
one nearby. I was going to suggest it was a one person caravan
but looking through the door revealed sleeping accommodation
for two provided they were not claustrophobic and were on friendly
terms. There was plenty of headroom but the feet would be under
the kitchen area that can been seen at the back. A dining area
is created by the awning at the side.
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All through the afternoon, various events were staged in the
main arena including a Marching Band display, another by the
Pop Divas Danz Troupe, a gymnastics display, a Drill and Banner
display by the ATC and of course the Tug Of War competition pictured
above.
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Among the people in fancy dress that were wandering around, there
were at least two "bears" including one promoting Erewash
Sound and another collecting on behalf of the Lions Club. I suppose
with the little boy attempting a handstand a suitable caption
for the one on the right would be "There's a bear behind!"
Although many local charities had stalls at the carnival, the
main beneficiaries this year are Help for Heroes and St. Dunstan's, a special hospital in Llandudno
for ex-servicemen and women who have lost their sight during
combat or due to an accident or illness.
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