Wet and windy Weston carnival

Here in the west country our carnivals are held in the autumn rather than in the spring around Mardi Gras when a lot of European carnivals are held, or in the summer when the big city carnivals happen.

Ours started in Bridgwater in the 1605 to celebrate the outwitting of the gunpowder plotters who hoped to blow up the Houses of Parliament. James I proclaimed that November 5th should be celebrated each year, and so it has been from then on. I have a feeling that as Halloween becomes more popular, Bonfire Night will die away as a celebration,, and people won’t have their own bonfires or set of their fireworks, but have them at Halloween parties instead.

The celebrations and carnival will however continue down here in the west, starting off with the Bridgwater carnival which took place last week, on November 5th. other towns in our are also have carnivals, and the floats go round to the different places, Highbridge and Burnham-on-Sea, Weston-super-Mare, North Petherton, Midsomer Norton, Shepton Mallet, Wells and Glastonbury. Tonight it is the turn of Weston…

Outside it is blowing an absolute gale, the tail end of Hurricane Katie following on from Storm Abigail… it is pelting it down with rain, interspersed with showers of icy hail, and in the town the floats, covered in thousands of bulbs will be touring around, trying to collect money for charities and good causes… The streets will be lined with spectators, but in this foul weather I don’t suppose there will be as many as usual… Good luck to them! I hope they raise a lot of money, they deserve to!!