Millom Carnival
Last updated at 10:07, Tuesday, 03 July 2012
THEY say absence makes the heart grow fonder – and on Saturday the Millom community showed just how much it had missed its annual summer carnival.
The 17-year hiatus officially ended at 1pm as a parade set off down Derbyshire Road to the strains of Scotland the Brave and the cheers of residents lining the street.
The procession included everything from dancers to drummers, tractors to traders, princesses to pirates, charities to companies and schoolchildren to a Shetland pony.
After a lap of the town it returned to the Millom Rugby League’s Coronation Field where participants received a rousing reception from onlookers braving the wind and rain.
For some, that signalled the time had come to retire to the warmth of their homes content in the knowledge that Millom’s community spirit is alive and well.
But for others, it was just the beginning of a celebration nearly two decades in the making as they enjoyed the carnival’s post-parade activities, attractions and atmosphere.
“We needed something like this because Millom was disappearing,” said long-time resident Brian Brown, who was exhibiting his vintage farm machinery.
“It was losing its sense of identity, and although the weather’s not good, this will be a big boost.”
The town’s annual carnival died in the mid-1990s when a scarcity of volunteers meant too much of the time-consuming organising was left to too few.
“It’s been really good and the organisers have done a really good job,” said Lincoln Street resident Ann Hambly.
Carnival queen Skye Mitchell, 13, of Lapstone Road, was not even born the last time Million hosted such an event and she said it was an honour to be playing a part in starting a new tradition.
However, the responsibilities that come with her crown are not confined to the one day, with her ambassadorial duties to continue until a new queen is crowned next year.
It is a challenge the Year 8 Millom School student is keen to embrace. “It’s great,” she said. “I’ve been over Lapstone (House) visiting the old people and then to the hospital and St George’s (care home).”
Millom Annual Carnival Committee chairwoman Jakki Moore said the months of hard work and long hours put in by the organisers had paid off.
“We had no idea how it would go or if everyone would get on board, but it was just fantastic,” she said.
First published at 13:27, Monday, 25 June 2012
Published by http://www.nwemail.co.uk
That's strange, I thought it was Millom Carnival!
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I would like to just point out a small thing here relating to a comment above, the carnival was in fact Millom carnival for the people of Millom? Not the Jakki Moore carnival or the beggars carnival, it was organised by a very hard working committee who are not glory hunting but would like it to be recognised that no one person was responsible for the resounding success that it was it was in fact the whole of our wonderful town that made the carnival a success because without the people of Millom there would be no carnival.
Posted by Judith Tyson on 3 July 2012 at 00:39