Excitement builds for St Paul's Carnival
Huge crowds are expected to turn out for the 42nd St Paul's Carnival tomorrow.
The popular celebration of Afro-Caribbean arts and culture is due to kick off with music on the Green Stage in Grosvenor Green at 11am.
This year's theme is Leaders of Tomorrow, and youngsters are involved with many of the carnival events.
The procession of floats will start at 1pm and run until 3.30pm, with judging from 3.30pm to 5.30pm.
There will also be a Poetry Corner in St Paul's Park from 2-6pm, and a children's area called Mandela Hideaway in St Agnes Park.
Groups on the floats include Cabot Primary, Fairfield School, the Lockleaze Afrikan Sambistas, Cotham School, the Bristol School of Samba, St Nicholas of Tolentine Primary, Ashley Down Juniors and the City Academy Steel Band.
In preparation for their part in the colourful procession, children from St Paul's Nursery School and Children's Centre have been getting their costumes ready.
The activities have formed part of the centre's Race Equality Conference, where children and parents have been celebrating cultural diversity and talking about issues surrounding racism.
Headteacher Lucy Driver said: "St Paul's Carnival is a wonderful community occasion – the children have been working with practitioners to make costumes and instruments and they are all really excited. Our children, families and staff will be joining the procession on Saturday – its a fantastic opportunity to all be together.
"We do our race equality conference week every year – it is a very important part of our curriculum and supports our whole school vision and aims.
"We work with children and their families to understand the feelings associated with racism and the impact racism can have on peoples lives. This can help to remove so many barrier to achievement.
"Being involved in the carnival at the end of this work is a real celebration, a celebration of the wonderfully diverse community in which we live and work and of individuality."
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by paul, bristol
Friday, July 03 2009, 10:53PM
“well i hope the event goes off well and everyone has a lovely carnival fuelled atmospheric day...!”
by steve, st george
Friday, July 03 2009, 10:35PM
“i think its about time that all carnivals, fun runs, demos, marathons etc should be held in parks or some other fields and stop disrupting traffic and people going about their business.”
by Tina, St Pauls
Friday, July 03 2009, 9:52PM
“2007 even .. my bad.”
by Tina, St Pauls
Friday, July 03 2009, 9:48PM
“Bonneville Lover ... We got leaflets last time but nothing at all this year.
Mind you the "info" leaflets were so riddled with errors that they proved useless anyway.
We have been here nearly 10 yrs and it has gone down hill noticeable and rapidly.
Last year someone was murdered ... dread to think what will happen this year.”
by Bonneville Lover, St Paul's
Friday, July 03 2009, 8:16PM
“I dread this event & have just finished battening down the hatches - having lived here 30 years I can remember when it was a good, safe & inclusive day out with a week of other side events, Not like that now - expensive, tense & not safe. Also less than impressed with the organisers who calim to have leafletted the area twice asking for comments about road closures but I & my neighbours received zilch so were mightly surprised to find a road open for the past 30 years closed off this year & we had no prior knowledge. Rang Carnival office - oh not our responsibility we hired an event company - D'oh - who contracted this comany & therefore has the ultimate responsibility? One good bit of news they're £10000 in debt.....”
by Tina, St Pauls
Friday, July 03 2009, 7:18PM
“Hayles ... lucky you, i have NO idea where you were in the past but definatley not at the St Pauls carnival.
Another tense time for locals with kids .. i for one intend to be out of the area for the day. It's bedlam .. all nice and colourful on the stalls/areas, convienient (sp) how people turn a blind eye to the side streets/car-parks and shady corners where the not so friendly or "hip" revellers congregate.
Have a good time jiving and dancing ... i'm off to the beach !”
by Mark, Bristol
Friday, July 03 2009, 7:01PM
“Hmmm, Clifton, Bath or St Pauls?
Now let me think.”
by Cynic, Abu Graid
Friday, July 03 2009, 6:26PM
“I remember when we used to go to the Bamboo Club in St Pauls in the in the late 60's. Never a problem and we walked there and back. Now you wouldn't catch me within 5 miles of the area unless I was in a tank.”
by Pat, Bristol
Friday, July 03 2009, 5:33PM
“Adrian - I don't really think anyone will miss you if you don't go to the carnival. Obviously you seem to have had a bad experience whilst living in St. Pauls. I very sorry about that, but you have to remember this is the year 2009 and you can get stabbed or shot whether you live in St. Pauls, Clifton or Bath. Oh, it's good that we live in a world where not everyone is so ignorant and narrow-minded as you seem to be!”
by Adrian, Bristol
Friday, July 03 2009, 1:53PM
“oh yeah, i know the place all to well thanks, used to live on the front line, ruff as!”