It’s carnival season, not just in Mid Wales (see Knighton show!) but also in London. I hadn’t planned to go there but I had the bank holiday off and headed into town from Sunbury and then realised the carnival was on. Hence I was not dressed in a skimpy bikini, fishnet tights and covered in feathers and a glorious headress.
But other people were which made for a really colourful sight. I didn’t know exacty how to get there but, like the QPR game I went to a few weeks ago, I just followed the crowds. This time, not people in blue and white striped replica shorts but those with whistles and sparkly outfits. These people were in high spirits, annoying everyone on the underground with their whistles and enthusiasms.
Getting off at Notting Hill Gate it was still quite a long walk to get to the route of the procession but it was worth it. I have not been to many concerts but the volume of the music at this carnival was much higher. My whole body was vibrating.
I had decided to try jerk chicken for the first time – what better place to eat jerk chicken than the Notting Hill Carnival. What I hadn’t banked on was paying £17 for a styrofoam tray of chicken, rice and coleslaw. It was definitely the most I have paid for a meal I have to eat with a plastic fork standing on the street. And it wasn’t that great anyway – so it was a bit of a disappointment after my excitement.
All around the area, streets were blocked off, hoarding out up to protect shop windows and residential building for boarded up too. Some enterprising locals were offering their toilets for £3 a wee/poo. And everywhere music, food, Africans and Carribeans proudly wrapped up in their flags. Mercifully the weather was fine and so there were huge crowds – first carnival since COVID – people were happy to back at it.
Police were in attendance in numbers but hanging back and even ignoring the small scale drug dealing. I walked passed an Rasta who was selling small bags of “ganja”. After a couple of hours of jostling and being jostled I had had enough and walked out in the direction of Kensington High Street and then bus to Earls Court Road where I was finally able to get some peace and quiet. It seemed like the whole of London was in Notting Hill today.
It was fun but once is enough for me. I have seen, I have heard and I have tasted.