St Mary's Village Carnival 2011

Posted on June 20, 2011

The Carnival Queen, Carnival Princess and Attendants have now been chosen for the main event on 2nd July!

• Carnival Queen – Rebecca Baldwin
• Carnival Princess – Stephanie Tate
• The Attendants – Melanie Tate and Chloe Tough

The four young ladies will lead the procession from the Orchards to the Green in a Bentley convertible. Follow the procession and cheer them on their way.

The Carnival theme for this year is – "Pirates" – So come and join the procession representing anything associated with Pirates; Buried Treasure, Dastardly Deeds, The Skull and Cross-Bones or anything else that might push a happy reveller to the end of the plank .. let your imagination run wild !!

Why not decorate your house as part of the Carnival Theme and brighten the route as the procession makes its way through the villages. Could you transform the outside of your house into a Caribbean galleon, will there be a plank out of your front bedroom, will Black Beard be adorning your front door, does the "X" mark the spot in the front garden where the buried treasure lies? For the less faint hearted (me hearties .. Haaa Haaa !) just how large a "Skull and Cross –Bones" can you fly from your chimney stack, I mean mast?!

This year it looks like there will be a superb number of stalls on the Green, with more exciting entertainment and activities than ever before.

• A whole range of entertainment and spectacles will take place throughout the afternoon in the Grand Arena, starting with the arrival of the Carnival Procession led by the Carnival Queen and Princess accompanied by their Attendants
• Look out for the special techniques and contraptions used at the worm-charming event as contestants pour water, jump up and down, dance and play music into the ground to entice as many worms from the soil as they can in the allotted time.
• Listen out for the silent auction with the huge list of items to bid for.
• Watch out where you put your feet when Clarabelle the cow decides where to drop her special load which will provide a lucky person with a special cash prize. Be sure to buy your Clarabelle square on the Green; don't miss out or man'ure going to be sorry.
• There will be a wide range of tombolas and raffles for adults and children with instant prizes and non-stop fun. Make sure you get tickets for the Grand Draw too with extra special prizes!
• If it's breath taking thrills you are after be sure to try the giant bouncy castle and slide that will be on the Green on Carnival day.
• Are you a budding young artist? Be part of the massive picture that will be put together on the Green made from many individual paintings; all coming together on Carnival day.
• Don't miss the dog show! Whether you have a pooch or a pedigree the dog show is a don't miss event at the Carnival. This year wonder at the pooch and owner sausage eating competition; the canine that wins this is going to be a really "Hot Dog"!
• If your garden needs that final splash of colour or you wish to nurture something for summer salads you can pick up beautiful plants at the charity plant stall.
• Be entertained and amazed by the wood carving demonstration and perhaps you'll head home with a carving of your own.
• Whatever your taste buds might fancy there will be something for you at the Carnival. Homemade cakes, sponges and sandwiches of all kinds with a cold drink or a cup of freshly made tea from the Tea Tent. Perhaps you would prefer something hot from the barbeque with an ice cold soft drink! There will be something for everyone at the various food stalls.
• Be sure to visit the newly introduced Coq au vin Corner where a portion of France will be available providing the freshly prepared classics, Coq au vin and Boeuf Bourguignon, to tingle your cosmopolitan taste buds.

Carnival 2011 will be a day out for the whole family to look forward to; free entry, free entertainment, and free parking. Various hot and cold foods and drinks will be available throughout the day on the Green, from the early hours until close down with non-stop entertainment. Make this a date in your diary!

Would you like to help at the carnival? - Contact Gordon

For example:

• Can you provide prizes, of any sort, for the various raffles and tombola stalls.
• Items for the silent auction.
• Can you assist with transport or provide the use of a lorry or van?
• Can you provide help on the day of the carnival at any of the many charity stalls, even for a few hours?
• Can you provide help with the early morning crew setting up tents and facilities on the Green? Egg and bacon rolls are served from about 7am!!

Charity Stalls - If you want to book a charity stall at the Carnival, contact Chris Banks.

Classic Cars - If you have a Classic Car you would like to show off for all our pleasure, contact Roger Wilkinson .

Notes from the Chairman

1. The event relies on hundreds of people volunteering to help in various ways in the period from 6pm on Friday 1st July to 8pm on Saturday 2nd July. Please consider offering your services and if you can help please contact me.
2. Many families have children who are participating in the Carnival Procession. If your child is joining a float please do not attempt to drive a vehicle into The Orchards. Instead, please park in Northall Road and walk to the Orchards via The Comp. We will arrange for the children's floats to be conveniently positioned so that the walk is not a long one.
3. If your organisation / good cause could benefit from a donation from the Carnival Committee then please send a request via the Carnival website – www.stmarysvillagecarnival.com.
4. Four members of the Carnival Committee will be standing down this year; they share around 50 years of experience in running the Carnival and will be greatly missed. However, this may be an opportunity for you. Do you have good organising skills that could be put to good use on behalf of our village community next year? If so please get in touch with me.

I look forward to sharing another wonderful day with you all. See you at the Carnival.

-- Gordon