Photo by Romazur from Wikipedia of the colourful Carnival in 2015.
2017 is the 51st year of the Carnival.
My family picked up a free copy of London's free Evening Standard from outside Morrisons supermarket in London and found it had a double page spread pull-out on the carnival. The last Monday in August is the August Bank Holiday, making a long weekend.
Some people are heading out of London. I thought a friend of mine who lived in the area was really lucky, no need to travel to get to the carnival, already there. She said she didn't go to the Carnival, she left the city! I was shocked. Why?
She said she'd been to it several times so the novelty had worn off. Staying in London on site meant being kept awake all night and all day by noise, music, shouting, shifting objects.
So I've stopped envying those who live nearby and are able to attend easily. I hate crowds. I watch safely on TV. I love the spectacle, the colours. I love performing, but indoors. I am happy to watch from a safe distance the lovely colours, the spectacle. On TV or a laptop I can turn the sound level to what suits me as not deafening, just lively.
If you hate noise:
You can get an ap for your phone to measure sound levels.
Colours and Costumes
Body Paint
Feathers
Green to remember Grenfell (tower block fire with many fatalities nearby this year 2017)
Sequins
Food
Caribbean Carnival Cuisine:
Ackee
Caribbean dumplings
Curry Goat
Jamaican patties (spicy)
Jerk Chicken
Fried plantain
Rice and peas
Saltfish.
Drink - Alcoholic
Guinness Punch
Red Stripe. What is it? Wiki says:
Red Stripe is a 4.7% ABV pale lager brewed by Desnoes & Geddes in Jamaica. It was first produced in 1928 from a recipe developed by Paul H. Geddes, and Bill Martindale. It is brewed under license in the UK and USA.
Rum
Non Alcoholic
Coconut (Drunk through a straw)
Music
Calypso
Soca
Steel Bands
Silence
Quiet Zone near Grenfell.
What To See
Parades
Performances on stages
Films (Movies) To Watch At Home
Numerous documentary films about Notting Hill Carnival and the Rio Carnival and Rio horror movies set in carnivals.
My favourite is Black Orpheus or Orpheu Negro, which was Barack Obama's mother's favourite film. You can watch the highlights including both the start and the end on YouTube.
Events
Friday - event started 8 pm.
Saturday 26 August 2017.
6-10 pm Free steel band event.
Sunday 27 August 2017. From 6 a.m. Family Day. Children's Parade.
On TV London Live 4-6 pm, live broadcast on Freeview 8, Sky 117, Virgin159 and YouView8.
Monday 28 August 2017.
The big main parade. 9 am to about 8 m followed by after parade parties in pubs. On big screen locally and on TV news.
3 pm one minute's silence for 80 or more victims of Grenfell tower block fire.
TV London Live 4-6 pm.
BBC TV and ITV (Independent TV) have both asked me to sign in. This is a nuisance. I forget my passwords. I suspect they are selling off my data. I am concerned about identity theft. I think all the cookies are slowing down my computer.
Other Events
UK 2017
Queens Ice Rink, Queensway, London W2. £18.50 Sunday night Aug 27 2017 and Monday night Aug 28 2017.
BRAZIL 2018
The world's biggest carnival is Rio. Features Samba music and dancing. Spring 2018; annual.
thelondonnottinghillcarnival.com
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-37024463 (Article with pictures of 50 years of the carnival)http://www.londonlive.co.uk/programmes/notting-hill-carnival/1c7803e (Slow start video.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Notting_Hill_Carnival
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.gamebasic.decibel
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Black_Orpheus (Text about award winning suspenseful tragic love story horror movie film set in carnival)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVkDfnGobmI (Black Orpheus film set in Rio, Brazil.)
www.visitbritain.org
https://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Tourism-g303506-Rio_de_Janeiro_State_of_Rio_de_Janeiro-Vacations.html
Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker.
No comments:
Post a Comment