By Andy Ward, Bradley Stoke Carnival Committee
Things are going well with the Carnival Committee’s preparations for this year’s Bradley Stoke Carnival which takes place on Saturday 29th August. The parade commences at 11am (route to be confirmed) and arrives at the Jubilee Green on Savages Wood Road at around 12pm. Good weather would help, so please do keep your fingers crossed for a nice sunny day!
We have been able to introduce some new elements for this year’s event, including a fire breathing show and, after the success of last year’s vintage London bus rides around the town, we are hoping this year to have an open top vintage bus to again run a circular route around the town. A traditional Punch and Judy show will also be featuring this year, entertaining both the young and the not so young!
Stall pitches are beginning to fill nicely, with a good mix of community, charity and commercial hirers confirming.
Carnival parade
The parade is looking as though it will be well supported once again, its theme this year being ‘party’, so you can dress up in fancy dress, your party clothes or, with community groups coming on board, perhaps your uniforms – it’s really up to you!
The team who will be providing the fire breathing show will also be walking on stilts in the parade and then wandering around the carnival field in the afternoon, alongside a couple of mascots including (subject to change) characters from Frozen and a Minion.
The demonstration area this year will be in front of the stage and will play host to the community groups who have come to show their skills – in between performances by bands on the stage. Demonstrations are still being confirmed, but are likely to include GKR Karate, the Chinese Association performing the dragon dance and the fire breathers.
Music stage
This year, live music is being hosted on a slightly larger stage and I’m pleased to announce that due to popular demand, the Twerzels (a Wurzels tribute band) have agreed to perform once again alongside other acts including an 80s covers band and the excellent Angel Heart Rocks. We still have a couple of free slots on the stage, so if you are involved in a family-friendly band that will appeal to all age groups, then please do contact us.
We are putting together a great line up of live music with something to suit all tastes, with the emphasis being on “bring a picnic and sit and enjoy a family-friendly afternoon of live music and entertainment on the Jubilee Green”. The live music will be broadcast by Bradley Stoke Radio from their event trailer and their presenters will also be working on live shows broadcast from the event – so if you can’t make it on the day, you can tune in and still enjoy the live music.
The car show is also making a return this year, as it has proved so popular in the past, and some vehicles that have not been seen before at the carnival have already confirmed attendance, including, for petrol heads, an AC Cobra.
Fun fair
The fun fair will be making a return visit and will be open from the Thursday before the carnival and across the bank holiday weekend and will feature a family-friendly range of sideshows and rides including the perennial favourite, dodgems.
For further information on the carnival, please visit the Bradley Stoke Carnival page on Facebook, where you can also download both the carnival parade and stallholder entry forms, or email bradleystokecarnival@gmail.com
Photo: Drummers perform at the 2014 Bradley Stoke Carnival.
This article originally appeared in the July 2015 edition of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine, delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
