The History of our Carnival
A HISTORY
THE BEGINNING
The carnival was started in the Queens Silver Jubilee Year of 1977.
Mr David Rowe, chairman of the local council called a village meeting to ask the community what they would like to do to celebrate the Queens Silver Jubilee. They decided to run a carnival to take place on Jubilee Day, also to hold a Red, White and Blue Ball and organise Tea Dances for the elderly at Charters School!
Volunteers added their names to the committee, and David Rowe and Jill Gresswell ran the show.
There was fantastic local support; 2,000 pounds was borrowed from the council and it was decided there would be 6 elements to the day:
- A Carnival on the recreation ground with local stallholders,
- Floats starting in Ascot and processing through Sunninghill to the ground,
- The football competition,
- A beauty queen,
- The art competition and
- Childrens races.
THE EARLY YEARS
There were 50 floats the first year drawn from local charities and organisations.
Over the years most of the groups have remained loyal to the carnival and we see them there every year. The procession had 50 floats in that first year. They started in Ascot, but as there were so many of them they could not stay at the recreation ground but had to drive on and away!
There was a bucket collection during the procession which was split equally between all the participants. The local police were very supportive.
CARNIVAL ACTIVITIES
Over the years the football competition was contested by most of the local football playing schools.
The art competition also involves the schools and, in earlier times, the entries were used locally to advertise the Carnival.
A Beauty Queen was held for the first 10 years until the girls requested it stop.
More recently we have had a photographic competition, gladiator jousting, ferret racing, falconry, pony rides, sheep and duck herding and novelty dog races. Stalls offer anything from cakes, plants and bric-a-brac to face painting, tombolas and bee keeping.
