Paignton's Carnival

In the middle of the week we were away, Paignton held its carnival procession. When we lived in our last house, in Gillingham, the carnival took place on a Thursday in October, and the procession came back in the dark. It seemed strange watching it in summer when it was still light at 8.15 in the evening. New regulations about insurance and health and safety have made it much more expensive for people to prepare and use impressively large lighted floats, so it was good to see that efforts were still being made. I snapped away but in some of the shots the crowds of watchers were the most interesting aspects. Here are a few of the better ones.

The next is one of the area's carnival queen wagons.

By the time this Monarch of the Glen float passed us, the light was starting to get dim.

A rather unusual bus driver.

 There were several groups of young majorettes.

 My sister, daughter and granddaughter were all watching this at the point where it left the Green on Paignton Sea Front, and then we went and had a drink in the pub where  my nephew is a manager.  It has a children's play area so my granddaughter was happy. From the open window we saw the tops of the procession again as it returned after it's trip around the town.  Finally, we got our lift home from my nephew when he was able to leave work.  It had all been good fun, but I was glad to leave all the crowds behind.