West Country Carnivals

[Really Ancien]

Why is this part of English contemporary culture so neglected? I lived in Bristol in 1982 and saw the floats and thought 'I've never heard of this'.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/ZngPW9Za_sw&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/ZngPW9Za_sw&rel=1</a>

Damon.

[Ian H]

Because it's local culture for local people. There's a carnival circuit of several towns with floats travelling from one to another in search of prizes. Just don't mention the majorettes. We watched our local one last weekend. First time I've seen it for some years. It hasn't got any better.

[Rob S]

I remember a couple of years ago doing a ride out of Taunton and seeing all the floats parked up for the North Petherton Carnival that evening...I thought that was an awful lot of cost and trouble for such a small A38 hugging place. Further up the road I saw posters for the Bridgwater Carnival held a couple of days earlier and it dawned on me the must be some sort of tour.

Just googled it and the circuit is

Bridgwater on the Friday following the nearest Thursday to 5th November; North Petherton on the following Saturday; Burnham-on-Sea on the following Monday; Shepton Mallet on the following Wednesday; Wells on the following Friday; Glastonbury & Chilkwell on the following Saturday; Weston-super-Mare on the following Monday.

More info here:

West Country Carnival - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[rr]

Don't forget the smaller local ones in the run up.

There are carnival clubs that send all year making the flows, I think some of them were amazing.

[nicknack]

Because it's local culture for local people. There's a carnival circuit of several towns with floats travelling from one to another in search of prizes. Just don't mention the majorettes. We watched our local one last weekend. First time I've seen it for some years. It hasn't got any better.

I'll get me dirty mac.

[Really Ancien]

This float seems to be one of the most elaborate.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/v/YZLY0SRmt3o&rel=1" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/v/YZLY0SRmt3o&rel=1</a>

Damon.

[Really Ancien]

I hadn't really appreciated the complexity of the floats, This 5 minute film explores that aspect.
<a href="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=717052&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=01AAEA" target="_blank">http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=717052&amp;server=vimeo.com&amp;fullscreen=1&amp;show_title=1&amp;show_byline=1&amp;show_portrait=0&amp;color=01AAEA</a>

Damon.