Big screen scene setter for carnival

Posted on June 29, 2006

Lights, cameras, action ...films will be the theme for the St Mary's Village Carnival on Edlesborough Green on Saturday, and it's set to be a blockbuster afternoon of fun.

The day will start rolling at 12.30pm, when a colourful carnival procession leaves The Orchards, Eaton Bray, and winds its way through the village and into Edlesborough.

Neighbours living along the route always deck out their houses on the carnival theme and as usual, there will be prizes for each of the best-decorated houses in Eaton Bray and Edlesborough.

Then at 1.30pm the carnival will be officially opened on Edlesborough Green by a familiar figure, Mel Grundy, who founded Vansar Blinds.

Mel, who has now retired, has lived in Eaton Bray for 39 years and managed the parish fete's transformation into a village carnival in the early 1990s as carnival chairman.

This year. the packed programme of fun will include belly dancing, a kite-flying display, Jazzercise, a classic cars parade, a dog show. Dagnall School country dancing, worm charming. and a grand draw.

There will be hot air balloon rides if the weather permits, birds of prey will be on display, and there will be a chainsaw carver, other craft demonstrations, bouncy castles, giant inflatables, children's rides and lots of other things to do and see.

Clarabelle the pantomime cow will be there for her contest which involves carnival visitors trying to guess where she will leave a "message".

Presiding over all the fun will be Carnival Queen Anna Cella, with Carnival Princess Lucy Everson and attendants Annabelle French and Zara Rogers.

The Olympic Worm Charming Championship is coming to Edlesborough Green in 2012. So this year's worm charming event at the carnival will be a great opportunity to develop your technique.

The organisers say that the world record for worm charming is 511 worms in 30 minutes. So far, the St Mary's Village Carnival charmers have failed to equal that.

But this year's contestants can try to beat the results of winners from previous years. Previous winners include: 2003, Stacey Loczy, two worms; 2004, David Griffiths, five worms: and 2005, Gill Ratherham, eight worms.

Worms may not be dug out of the ground. Only vibrations can be used to lure them out. Garden forks can be stuck in the ground and vibrated manually to coax the worms to the surface.

Organisers also say that worm charming can involve music, and suggest useful tunes could include Good Vibrations or Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head. The most successful method used so far has been hand-vibrating a four-tine garden fork inserted about 15cms into the turf.

The dog show will include pedigree and novelty classes and entries are from 10.30am, with judging at noon. Entry is £1 per class.

Pedigree classes will include: any variety of puppy, aged up to 12 months; any variety, sporting; any variety, nonsporting, includes pastoral; any variety, open; and youngsters aged up to 15 can take part in a junior handling class. Novelty classes include: best local dog living within a fivemile radius; best veteran, any dog aged over seven; handsomest dog; prettiest bitch; dog with the waggiest tail; and the dog the judge would most like to take home.

Birds of Bray, a local falconry team, will bring along captivebred birds of prey to the carnival. People can chat to the team, and take pictures of the birds.

Top prize in the grand draw will be a weekend in Rome. Second prize will be a trip to the Houses of Parliament with South West Beds MP Andrew Selous.

There will be trophies for the best entry in each of three categories in the carnival procession. They are: preschool/lower school; junior school; adult/family/business. Every entry is given a certificate.

There is no charge for taking part in the procession, and you do not have to enter afloat. You could walk, push a pram, or even stilt walk.

Last-minute entries who do not need transport can just turn up at The Orchards, Eaton Bray, between 10.30am and 11.30am on the day.

Entries should be themed. Judging takes place at noon.

The carnival procession will travel from The Orchards, Eaton Bray, along the High Street, into Moor End, and then past the shops in Edlesborough, left into Brook Street, along The Green, right into Brownlow Avenue, right into Pebblemoor, finally entering the carnival site through the Memorial Hall car park.

Source: Dunstable Gazette, 28 June 2006