#CountryKids at Staveley Carnival 2014

This weekend was the biannual Staveley Carnival. The carnival celebrates creativity and reclaiming the streets from motorised vehicles. After weeks of preparation the day turned out to be hot and sunny as we arrived at the recreation ground which was full of 1000s of people there to celebrate and enjoy the atmosphere. 

With a tight budget after the weekend before my children were told to choose their one fairground ride with care. They both opted for the tiger inflatable and had a lot of fun for the 5 minutes allowed:

Into the tiger's mouth

Leaping through the ring

It was an energetic 5 minute and I think they chose wisely in the use of the money! Then it was time to take up position to watch the carnival parade which loops its way through the village. It first of all heads over the river Gowan:

We had a long wait until they made it all the way around the village and back to where we were standing. Lots of people took advantage of the lack of cars to wander down the middle of the street:

It was almost like being in Rio with the heat and blue sky:

The sounds of drums and whistles heralded the imminent arrival of the parade:

The amount of effort that goes into making the costumes really showed as they went passed us. Each group had its own musicians who had been rehearsing for weeks to entertain the crowds:

Between each group was a strategic gap so that the music could be clearly heard. So each group really stood out:

There were some more professional bands amongst the amateurs too:

What was wonderful to see was the inclusion of all age groups in the parade with people turning pushchairs (and mobility scooters) into amazing creations:

The giants are one of the mainstays of the carnival and they always look incredible:

To show you more of the sights and sounds of the carnival I made a YouTube video (some of it is silent and its shot on an iPhone so not ideal!):

Back in the field we were in much need of refreshment so headed straight over to the school cake stall for some of the yummy homemade goodies:

There was plenty going on with charity fund raising and demonstrations from local businesses such as the dance studio with their pole dancing:

A bit of a lift required!

As you would expect from an eco event there was plenty of emphasis on recycling with lots of places to recycle your rubbish including unwanted costumes:

Just fabulous to see and hear and I can't wait for 2016 and the next one!