Newbury Carnival, Hermitage fun day and a summer serenade all going on today
The popular parade is finally here and it's set to be the biggest yet, with 62 confirmed entries.
The town centre will witness a temporal shift, with parade entries exploring the theme of ‘Travels in time - past, present and future’, and a flypast from the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight’s Lancaster Bomber, Spitfire and Hurricane fighter planes will further transport the town to a by gone era.
Photographers from the
will be roaming the town and will also be pitched near the park cafe to capture your carnival memories.
The last carnival in 2011 attracted over 10,000 people to the town with the theme of ‘Going for Gold,’ as a reference to London 2012 and organisers are hoping to exceed this figure.
Carnival chairman, Bryan Harper, said: “The Carnival is an event for everyone, with no age or class boundaries. It is a platform that provides immeasurable pleasure and satisfaction from engaging with other people from all walks of life.
“It is a real feel good day and will remind you why Newbury is such a great place to live.”
The popular parade will begin at 2pm in Pound Street, spearheaded by the town crier, Brian Sylvester, and this year’s Carnival Queen, Kelly Edmund.
The parade will then wind through Bartholomew Street and down Northbrook Street, turning onto the London Road and proceeding through Park Way, ending in Victoria Park.
“The sight of Pound Street full of happy smiling people just before the off at 2.00pm. The noise and spectacle is a sight to behold. The sense of anticipation makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand up,” Mr Harper said.
“Secondly, the sight of all the crowds as you go over the bridge in to Northbrook Street. It’s always full of thousands of people, all there to see the Carnival. That is a special moment.”
There will be inevitable road closures to allow the parade to flow through the town, with Pound Street and Enbourne Road closed from 12.30pm to 2.30pm while the parade assembles and traffic from Rockingham Road will be diverted via Enborne Road to Buckingham Road.
From 2.30pm to 4pm there will be a rolling closure through the town to allow the parade to pass and then disperse.
Organisers are expecting London Road to be congested or closed for some time and traffic from the Robin Hood Roundabout is advised to divert along Western Avenue.
Park Way will also be closed for a short time while the floats unload and disperse and during this time buses and taxi’s will be diverted via Bear lane and the A339.
But the fun will continue once the parade has ended in Victoria Park, where a fete and funfair will keep the crowds entertained from noon until 6pm.
The park will also host a range of charity stalls as well as the Newbury Carnival fun dog show, run by the National Animal Welfare Trust, Great Shefford.
Organisers plan to have 12 classes running in the park, including best puppy, best trick and fastest biscuit eater.
Registrations are planned between noon and 2pm, with judging expected to begin at 3pm.
And if that isn’t enough to keep you entertained, a skate and BMX jam will be held at the Victoria Park skate park to celebrate the second anniversary of its opening.
Photographers can also snap up prizes in the photography competition, which offers a £25 prize for the best photo or video taken on the day using a mobile phone and uploaded to organisers through social media, using #newburycarnivalpics or to the Carnival Facebook page.
There will also be a £75 prize for best overall photo or video submitted by July 20.
With this year’s summer spectacular set to break all records, organisers are confident that this year’s event will be the best yet.
Mr Harper said he was feeling, “relaxed and confident that a great team of people have worked tirelessly for nearly a year, to bring together a well planned and thoroughly professional event. It will be great.”
Also travelling back in time today are children from Hermitage Primary School who will be marking the school's centenary.
Parents and staff have planned a fun packed afternoon to mark the occasion, including a Hermitage has Talent show, a 1940s cream tea tent, maypole dancing and a hog roast.
The main attraction, however, will be a timeline charting the school’s history from 1913 with lots of pictures and memorabilia donated by former pupils and teachers.
But if you just want to relax there will be a summer serenade where you can enjoy strawberries, Pimms and music for all tastes from 3:30pm at St George's church in Andover Road, Newbury.
Tickets cost £8
