13 September 2010Dover Carnival 2010 Part II ( Part I below)
More pictures now added above in an effort to show the fuller wider day with all its variations. Pip the superbly colourful Clown was in the crowd and enjoying the spectacle, even though as we said earlier, it was a short spectacle. The various other floats show the exotic and glamourous effort all the girls made...also so very colourful too. Waiting at the Town Hall steps were the reigning girls from the Court of Kent above left, as indeed were the Two Mayors, Mayor Sue Jones of Dover, and Mayor Ben Bano of Deal, having a little light lubrication there as you can see! Backing up the Mayor Jones as ever was Cllr Ronnie Philpott ( Mayoress) seen here on left with amiable husband.
All Pictures above were taken by Colette Boland.
Part I
Dover Carnival 2010
We have now as you can see uploaded an assortment of colourful pictures from Sundays on/off Carnival. Well the event went ahead at the eleventh hour, rescued from non appearance by the good carnival people from Deal, as we understand it... although some felt it should probably have been cancelled so the whole thing could regroup for next year. But it appeared and it was a very small carnival indeed, with just a handful of floats from the various courts like Faversham, Folkestone, Deal and so on, and only one commercial float in the shape of the ever supportive Ramada Hotel.
The picture on the left shows the poor girls from the Dover court who alas had to throd the route on foot, no float for them. It is a sad state of play when the girls from our own town cannot afford a float as the other towns can. But they put a brave face on it. The whole carnival culture seems to be forever mired in infighting and recriminations.
We dont know the ins and outs of the political manoeuvrings mentioned, so wont go into it further but just urge those who like carnivals to enjoy the pictures and hope for better years ahead. So, to sum up, it was a small parade playing to a small crowd, who watched in near silence as the September sun sank early on in proceedings beneath the grey buildings.
The picture on the left was taken by Colette Boland and shows three local kids (Harmony, Isis and Thea) getting very excited about the arrival of the carnival in central Dover last evening. But were they disappointed when it arrived? The carnival was as tiny as tiny can be, and passed by in just SIX minutes.
I remind you that "half a loaf is better than none" and sadly there has been no Carnival at Folkestone and Ashford this year nor at Broadstairs, Westgate, Cheriton, Sturry and Ash, for the last few years.
When a Carnival dies its very hard to resurrect.
There will be a Dover Town Carnival next year its on Sunday 3rd July 2011, same route as this year Traffic Management plans are approved by DDC.
The update I have received is that The Court Of Dover has a float and are attending Faversham Carnival tomorrow Saturday 16th October