More Carnival and Euros!

The fashion of today often passes me by.  This one is something I have heard of but do not understand.  I did not ask him to explain as I did not wish to be seen talking to a green box!

The theme was 1960's and some of the kids appeared a little bewildered by what was on offer.  The suggestion they should 'ask grandad' was not appreciated by the granddad's in the crowd!
 

All beamed happiness throughout the day!
 

This flash piece of American tin was the only fancy car to arrive this year.  Essex is full of such vehicles but I think there was a car show about ten miles away which will have drawn them to stand there and show themselves off to the crowd. 
 

In between trucks featuring majorettes and their appalling dance music there arrived these excellent musicians who's name I missed sadly, who offered the best beat off the day!  Super stuff, proper music and I wish their vehicle had been held up rather than those playing the guff stuff.
 

Some found it a bit loud however.  I suspect had mum suggested she ought to come down this lass would have rejected the idea just the same.
 

All attempted to collect money for a local charity, one is selected each year, and all did their best to gather the cash from the happy to pay populace.  Sadly we were too far away...
 

Some of course could not take the pace...
 

The weather was there but it behaved itself until today.

Dank indeed it was this morning but I surprised myself as well before you were up I managed to climb the slope to the village.  Three days ago I hardly made it round the corner yet today it was all go, slowly that is.  

Few dog walkers and a couple of individuals only, how I love the early morn when I can wake up and see it!  These posts tell the walkers where they are on this route and a jolly good idea they are too.  Not that I understand much about the symbols.  Agriculture and spinning makes sense but why is the man hoovering I wonder?

The abundant rain has at least given abundant vegetation.  Grasses and wild flowers are everywhere and this beauty stood out from the greenery around it.  More dank damp grasses tomorrow up that way I fear.  I need the exercise to be fit for the Euros!

Weather, Euro 16, Carnival!

The weather being better and my knees being in agreement I toddled around slowly on the bike early yesterday morn.  The aches from this were noticeable this morning as I tried the same trick once again.  However even though the bright and hot sunshine has dissipated somewhat it was decent enough to trundle around for half an hour on the dilapidated bike.  It is always good circling around early in the morning, better when the weather is sunny, the world is different then.  People are often friendlier, quiet streets make movement easy, the near silence allows birds to be heard and today one cat desperately looking for a mate.  Now I am beginning to feel the benefits of slight exercise the weatherman, nasty piece of work that he is, has informed us rain is on the way.  Don't it make you sick!

The football started last night and many things disappointed.  From what little I saw of the opening ceremony I was once again aghast at the irrelevance to what was to follow.  Banal empty music loudly ringing out while absurd and needless dancers bounced about an even more absurd layout.  Why not have some football connection to this?  How about young kids kicking the ball or playing 'keepie up?'  This stuff is rubbish.
The game itself was not worth paying for.  France ought to be winning this tournament and Romania were well on top of them at times.  Disappointing starter game though the winning goal was superb! Today Wales play Slovenia and I will watch this while later England get beat by Russia, that I will enjoy...

The carnival usually has a band of some sort at the front and this year these imitation guardsmen did an excellent job of leading the parade.  The usual assortment of floats, majorettes and other carnival queens passed by.  Thousands lined the streets, well half the population, there is little else going on and kids love it, the sun came out and we all had a laugh.  Money is collected towards a good deed but unfortunately we were out of reach of the buckets catching donations.
  

You are asking "What...?"  I am answering with a shrug.
  

This float carried those deemed 'learning difficulties'  however these two lassies were far from that and just enjoying their time on the float.  how much wine had they before the show I ask?

  
A large group of scooter fans gather weekly in town and they are always present.  This year they were at the back where the smoke filled the air!
I am so busy watching football, Russia are disappointing me badly here, that I am unable to show more of these - until tomorrow!

Carnival Day

The eager crowds were out, as was the sun, for the carnival parade.  One day in the year when the entire town meets together.  Most have the responsibility of either their kids beside them or spotting a known child on one of the floats and ensuring you get some money into the buckets and nets they hold out as they pass.  The museum wall made an excellent viewing platform and allowed younger kids a safe place to avoid boredom, at least the one that ran past me fifty times was happy enough avoiding boredom! Gran, forced to chase him, was avoiding boredom well also.

The Saturday staff ignored the few visitors who made it through the crowds and soaked up the sun while being annoyed they had run out of suitable leaflets to force on to  present to the punters.  We had some visit before the parade but most afterwards follow it to the parades end where the fairground has been set up, the children enjoying the many rides, the men ruing the closure of the local hostelry!  That has become a 'Tesco Express.'

 
Naturally, as you do in Essex four hundred miles from Scotland's capital city of Edinburgh, the pipes always lead the parade!  'A Scottish Soldier'  was aired as they passed and I considered them the most musical of all the offerings presented to us today.  I suspect these lead many of the local carnivals and most people probably follow all the carnivals around as each small town and villages has one and this keeps the kids happy during the better summer days.  I suspect most of those participating in their floats show up in each march also!

I saw more of these today than I usually see around town these days, no not our man Stuart drinking his lunch, I mean policemen!  I say that and the police station is behind us and their cars turn the corner all the time, usually going in, not out.  Austerity leads to less noticeable policing as staff are cut, although 'Diversity officers' still get £32,000 a year in comparison to a new Bobby's £17,000, why?  On occasions they will blow the siren near my back window just for spite I'm sure.  Today there were lots of them, some even wearing these strange helmets and rumour has it that a blue lamp is contained within but I have never liked to ask.  He didn't recognise me anyway.

This man was having a ball with his flag!  Whatever the reason for the parade the flag was an instrument to be put to use and he was making hay when I noticed him.  For such is the day made and I assume the flag is now above, and possibly in, his bed!

I don't normally go in for candid pictures especially of children but all around they were having a ball watching on expectantly waiting for the next float.  Maybe I am missing the now grown up kids up north or maybe it is just a granddad phase but I enjoy watching them enjoy these days.  Someone of course ought to have ensured these were given info re the museum programme but no leaflets were ready, not that I am one to grumble as you know but here were three £5's for one special event standing here awaiting information. 

This lass on the right was pointing at the museum and telling her uncomprehending friend something about the place, so I snapped her.  I suspect her school or her mum has brought her in and she has remembered well.  Hopefully she will return and it is a shame the girls behind me did not notice this.

This is one of two that appeared to me to be about that Alice woman.  Someone we know wrote a book about her.  Standing at the rear gossiping is Alice herself, ignoring her fans.

I never knew this lot existed and I suppose that is one reason they join in the parade, a good free advertisement.  I preferred this lot to the numerous stick twirlers of varying ability who passed by.  Exercise helps you lose weight they told me, it was my considered opinion that some majorettes have not discovered this yet!  These lads however looked fit enough and this appeared to be a well organised youth group.  As a teenager this would be an attractive option - apart from the bruises and broken bones of course.

 

Then the aging 'Mods' arrived.  Usually they sit at the 'greasy spoon cafe' on a Sunday morning.  No doubt regaling one another of daring do against 'rockers' on their 'BSA's,' 'Triumphs' and 'Norton's' on Southend beach back in the sixties.  The scooter I think is a good way to get around town.  Until recently Stirling Moss, once Britain's greatest racing driver, used one as it was easier in London than anything else.  Only age made him give this up.

 Rent a Princess?

A singing group from afar, six miles away, appear to be putting on a show but I have no idea what it might be.  The cannon firing smoke was good however.

Throughout the country this sort of event will be occurring now.  Not the most earth shattering of events but certainly full of fun for the young ones.  They enjoy parading, mostly sitting waving from a forty ton truck, something mum probably has heart stopping worry over, while dressed up appropriately as a character from the theme.  Something I once disdained as of no interest I now find enjoyable, possibly because of the reaction to certain of the personnel involved as we watched this go by. 
Back to boring old European Champions League final now..... 

Hot Saturday

The local Carnival sped slowly past the museum door this afternoon.  This poor wee lass was forced into the Honey Bee costume and sauntered out giving hugs and leaflets to wee kids.  The kids loved it! 

Well, most of them!  This one just hid while mum took a picture of the others around the Bee.

Our desks, bell and headmasters robe, managed to get themselves aboard this float.  I hope they collected a lot of cash.  Torrential rain fell for about twenty minutes in the morning.  The wind blew, dark clouds gathered, rain hammered on the roof and windows, lightning flashed and thunder roared.  By the time of the first float the weather was hot, too hot for the Bee, but the kids loved every minute of it.  

Too hot?  I don't remember saying that before!

Carnival Time

I have already mentioned the carnivals found in small towns nationwide at this time of year.  Ours took place on Saturday.  As always the sun disappeared and the lorries carrying the floats full of children dressed in a variety of outfits floated by in a dull haze.  I missed it of course by falling asleep.  This year, possibly because the queens jubilee is also this weekend, several strange paper mache creatures have appeared in town.  These are the best two, probably made by schoolkids, with a little help from their friends.  The darkened skies, the rain, wind and dampness all come together at this time of year to inform the populace that this is summertime, get used to it!  After the carnival a few went off to street parties, I fell asleep.  Still this type of event shows there is a large support for a monarchy in the UK, less so in Scotland of course as that nation is ignored so often.  People, for whatever reason, will turn out on such occasions and the UK is a long way from a republic at this time.  I should have attended one or two of those street parties carrying the 'Socialist Worker,' or the 'Morning Star,' and attempted to sell them perhaps?  Not that I would actually do this, nor would I actually read them!  The 'Socialist Worker,' is written by the well educated middle class, and sold by Glasgow or Liverpool dole scroungers.  Few, if any, have ever actually 'worked' in their lives.  There used to be a few 'socialists,' who came through to Edinburgh on a Sunday to speak at 'speakers corner' at the mound.  We often saw them at Ibrox when through to watch football, work was a thing they had never bothered about. The 'Morning Star,' I thought had died long ago when UK communists fell out with one another in the way representatives of the people tend to do, and there was few enough of them at the time.  I wonder what that lot will say when the Olympics begin?  My thoughts however are not welcome on that either I think.




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