Well, the Harpenden Carnival was a great success. There was a massive turnout and the weather was just great (unlike this bank holiday, which I was going to spend photographing a jousting tournament). Here’s a taster of what the high street looked like:
Once again, and this seems like a requirement for the carnival these days, the experience of the arena in Rothamsted Park was somewhat tainted by the quality of the public address system. A whole lot of noise and a narrow dynamic range……the performers, on the other hand, were great.
I tried to get some shots of the new air ambulance that was due to land in the park but it was out on call and after an hour and a half of waiting I had no choice but to admit that I could no longer ignore the family glares.
Well, the time has come for another Harpenden Carnival. On Sunday the 18th of May the high street will be temporarily closed and the fun and games will begin with a parade and end with a free-for-all in Rothamsted Park. It’s a great day out and I intend to be there in my photographer capacity for the first time, rather than as a good husband and father.
This year the carnival seems to offer a great deal from the photographic perspective. The theme is “China Town” (something to do with the Olympics I think) and the Nam Yang Pugilistic Association will be there. I’m particularly looking forward to the Chinese Southern Shaolin Lion Dance & Dragon Dancing. Yup, lions and dragons. Together. Freely associating with each other and dancing.
Not satisfied with letting loose dragons and lions on the residents of Harpenden, the organizers have graciously invited this lot. Yup, THE GLOBE OF DEATH!
Photographing the mad bikers will probably be tricky, what with all that steel mesh in the way, but you never know. Lions, dragons and mad bikers. Anything could happen.
There aren’t that many bizarre sights in my home town of Harpenden. Prettiness it has by the bucket load, but bizarreness seems to generally have passed it by completely in its headlong rush to London. This is generally a good thing and considered entirely sensible but it is a little irksome when someone with a camera hankers after a little bizarreness for his lens.
In all honesty, I have not done that much searching and I am sure that after twilight, when the high street fills with merry makers, things get interesting but that’s not what I’m looking for. Well, not at the moment that is.
I say bizarreness generally passed Harpenden by because it did leave one particular item of interest in its wake.
I’ve just added a new digital image, Pilgrim One, to the digital gallery.