Wednesday, August 21, 2019

August Events: Notting Hill Carnival in London, England, and Edinburgh Festival in Scotland

If you are already planning to be in London, England, in August, or wondering where to spend next weekend, the Notting Hill Carnival is a great event. Friends of mine are going.

I said to them, "Isn't it dangerous being in a crowd, especially Notting Hill Carnival. Does your mother really want to be with all those scantily clad women nad loud noise?"

He replied, "It's okay. We've been before. If you go on Sunday it's family day, so the rique acts are on the Saturday and on family there's a different atmosphere."

Take a small umbrella or a jacekt with a rain hood as an insurance against rain. Plus your phone or camera. Dress to look good photographed against the performers and revellers wearing costumes.

As American said, prepare for the worst but hope for the best. Prepare for pickpockets. If the crowds are dense, and you don't have inside pockets, you can wear a vest or jacket inside out and wear a tight leather belt at your waist to keep it shut. Check the clothes you will be wearing.

Safety Tips
I like to keep my urgently needed items, like a comb and lipstick, in a vest (sleeveless top which zips up the front. You can order jackets with multiple pockets online, either in bright colours for attentin getting photos or discreet camouflage colours.

My last jacket was a lovely orange. However, it had two problems. The top pockets did not have Velcro top pockets. The lower pockets had zips but the ends were not sewn in, just tucked in, and I soon pulled off the puller. After dropping the pockets' contents several times, at home, in the street, on chairs, under chairs, everywhere, I eventually ordered press studs and sewed them on.

Another thing you can do is to buy pickpocketproof clothing.

If your jackets and other clothes have open pockets, sew on press studs. That saves credit cards and travel passes from sliding out whenever you take off your jacket and put it on a chair or floor.

If you have a portable lightweight musical instrument you might wish to take it (labelled with your name and a phone number - not your home if it is empty). Practise or print off the words and music of your favourite song. Take water and a sandwich box or enough cash to buy food but not too much.

Edinbugh Festival - see next post.

Useful Websites
Notting Hill Carnival
Wikipedia Notting Hill Carnival
Wikipedia Notting Hill
London Tube Map
pickpocketprooof clothing
(More photos and text will be added later.)

Author
Angela Lansbury, travel writer and photographer, author and speaker. My books and profile are on Amazon and Lulu.com. If you buy one of my books, new or secondhand, I will sign it for you and add a rhyming couplet about your name or profession or hobby.
You can also link up with me on Facebook and LinkedIn.

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