Parade

 

Yesterday, Saturday, I took myself out twice!  Yes, I was surpised also.  

I limped around the park early on in an attempt to see how warm life was.  I was very surprised at the heat in the morning.  I wandered around the town and back home.  Later, I discovered the town carnival was to parade through the streets once again, it has been missing for some years now.  So, aroung half two I put on my new sun hat, grabbed the camera, discovered the battery was dying, grabbed the old Nikon instead, and headed of into the world.

 

Led as always by the fire brigade, the local men are all 'On-call firemen,' which means they must live within five minutes of the station.  They are called by Bleeper, which goes off at any time, day or night.  The fires they fight are just as real as all others.

 

This was a small parade this year, aimed at kids as always, and I sauntered along just to see the occasional item worth picturing.  I missed out on the girls twirling sticks, the women of unknown age dancing to bad music, and the several 'Carnival Queens' from various areas around.  I was more interested in this stolen police vehicle.

 

 

The ageing Mods are always there to show off their ageing scooters.  The picture does not show the pollution coming out of the back of some of them.  Most Sunday's these men gather outside one of the local 'Greasy Spoon Cafe's' and fill 'Little Square,' with their bikes.  I'm not sure how often the scooters are put to use at other times.

 

 

 

I tried a shot along the wall to catch all the crowd watching, but only this bot of the kid laughing was any use.  You will note his shirt has the Firemens Badge on the front, and he had been waving to the machine before it even got into the street! 

 

Only a couple of trailers this year.  I like to get pics of the kids, their faces as they sit there are always worth noting.  However, this camera is not that good and kept switching off.  It is also not very sharp at anything over ten feet.  I liked this one of mum picturing her kid.

 

And a motor bike or two at the end.  

Throughout the nation such 'Gala's' take place, usually old mining towns have them, nothing special in most, but the kids like them, a good day out of harmless fun if the sun shines.

Personally, I could do with something more exciting but it was good to be in the very hot sun, and the hat indeed helped.  

Scoot by the River

An interesting array of aged scooters outside the Town Hall today.  A 'Mod' was getting married and his mates all arrived to celebrate with him.  These guys gather every Sunday morning at the cafe round the corner, aged bikes with aged men pretending they are 40 years younger than they are.  Not all remember the original 'Mods' who gathered in large numbers in the 60's, the 'Who' were their favourite band and it is unfortunate no music was playing when I passed today.  I suspect the bride would turn up on a scooter but did not wait to find out.  I did think it funny that several were dressed in 'Skinhead' outfits, especially as the lack of hair was becoming apparent at their age anyway.

Yesterday I wandered as a lonely cloud by the other river in Chelmsford, the River Chelmer.  A narrow winding stream flowing past hidden industrial works and row upon row of boxes in which people live their lives.  Maybe it is just me but while the houses are perfectly acceptable there is no 'heart' to be seen in them.  Many rows of decent enough grossly overpriced housing with decent enough people but no character to be seen.  I suppose when the rows of 'two up and two down' were built in Victorian days people thought the same but those appear to have more character than today's estate homes.  

Chelmsford today is summed up in this picture.  The house that once was a mill, one for which I can find no history, sits above the wee bridge over the Chelmer surrounded by parked cars.  Cars from which many have entered the building itself, now an office block, and others who have moved to similar buildings, possibly the university situated at the rear itself. Behind are more offices in the distance and several industrial units, car repairs and the like.  The once idyllic scene now surrounded by modern blight.  At least the council keep the waterway clear and the gardeners do a marvellous job looking after the paths around.

The gentle flow of the waters do not tinkle by in this area, the only tinkling comes from the many bikes that rush along the path carrying students to their work or possibly lecturers to their enlightening talks.  It may be just the usual suspects going about their business of course but happily none of them smiled bar one pretty young lass and the rest merely carried the cares of the world as they passed by.  Still it is a good thing when towns, oops this is now a city, keep their rivers clear and create decent paths through tree lines areas and encourage wildlife as much as is possible.   This is to be encouraged as we need these green spaces in our concrete and glass world.
That concrete and glass world was where the path took me sadly, five story glass fronted new temples of Mammon reared up and I plodded through the main street, now at least filled with a lively market, bought my coffee to keep me going and headed for the butcher for three for £10 chicken pieces to keep me alive.  

An interesting wee house, totally out of sequence with the road in which it lives, called 'The Rectory.' This stands (in 'Rectory Lane') next to a closed cemetery the details of which I could not read as the gardener had blocked the note with his vehicle.  The cemetery has been closed for some time and now the only people bar the council gardeners who occasionally cut the grass to be seen there are vagrants sleeping rough.  I am tempted here to add 'Rest in peace' but will refrain.  

Above the Rectory door however I noticed this!
Quite what this is or was supposed to be intrigues.  It is certainly not what Christian buildings out to be decorated with I would say, it looks more like some portrayal of a demon.  Possibly it was placed there to upset the rector and he quite liked it, these Anglicans are strange folks.  I have no idea who lives in this building now, it may be uninhabited as the curtains are drawn across the windows.  No doubt this once housed the man responsible for the cemetery upkeep, and very nice too, no noisy neighbours in the past, and possibly it lies idle for the moment.  No wonder with this guy above the door!

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..... 

Gala Day!

Gala Days have been running for over a hundred years.  It may well be some have origins way back in the mists of time.  That Blackburn one originated in 1911 on the one day a year the local miners had off!  There was a lot of Shale dug at the time, when crushed the oil was used in lamps.  It may well be 'Fracking' might yet make use of the resources still underground in that part of Scotland.  Gala Days are very popular in Scotland and are found in many other parts of the world.  There are no miners around this part of the world yet a Gala Day is held every year.  Parading through the streets in days past was part of small towns and villages 'community' spirit.  'Community' a word much abused these days, totally meaningless in my humble view.  The towns groups and businesses would walk through the town, church groups, social clubs, etc all showing off to one another their Sunday best.  Games in the park would follow, drinks and high jinks possibly, and a good time was had by all.  

Not much has changed overall in such parades although today they are mostly child orientated and the 'community spirit' may be somewhat less depending where they occur.  Floats from various organisations, local groups (the scooter club today choking one and all with blue smoke), young girls with pom poms for reasons I don't understand, folks in animal or cartoon costumes, always someone with rotten loud music, today is was Rap at 100 decibels, long balloons bent into Star Wars weapon shapes, all surrounded by hordes of mums and dads, kids and always some eedjit who forgot this was on until walking into it by mistake - me!   I read that after the English queens coronation in 1953 each Gala decided to have their own 'Gala Queen, usually around 14 or 15 years of age.'  No doubt in today's world certain boys will now offer themselves.    

These remnants of the 'Mods and Rockers' age turn up each Sunday morning at the local 'greasy spoon' cafe for reasons I don't understand.  This are has many back roads that motorcyclists and no doubt scooter riders love, so maybe that is the origin.  Some old Mods reliving their youth I suspect.  The scooters do look good and it is easy to understand why they were popular in the early 60's.  

  
Our Gala ends in a park on the other side of town, well clear of me I am glad to say!  Games and shows  (that's 'fairs' to you English) take place, possibly goldfish are still given in prizes, although many dads will be disappointed now the local pub has been shut down.  

In spite of only being 25 I can remember walking past men repairing, possibly making, the road down our street, using a proper 'Steam Roller' to do so.  For years I thought all such engines were 'steam rollers,' but of course most, like this one, had other uses.  We often see them at this time of year, Essex hosts get togethers of such every so often.  One stopped outside my window a few years ago to steal some of the local water (do they pay for this I ask?) and was overtaken by a 'steam lorry' once quite common on Britain's roads.

I know my sister and others will be frequenting the Gala up north, it is a much bigger event in that area, and for the next three or four weeks they will follow this up by attending similar events in other local towns.  Just how many goldfish do they expect to win I ask?

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