A Somerset church and market , Bridgwater.
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ArishMell · 70-79, M
That church is a lovely building. I like the way its builders have used at least three varieties of stone - that of the tower looks completely different from the two contrasting stones in the main part of the church, and the spire.
Beautiful tracery, too. It has some intriguing details, such as that pair of ornamented arches with what appears to be a small, shuttered window between them.
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That's a fine three-abreast galloper set in your first picture - there can't be many of those still touring.
Several years ago the Post Office commissioned a set of stamps with a stylised depiction of a gallopers - only thing was, the artist have obviously never visited a British fairground, for he or she had drawn the ride the wrong way round, travelling left to right!
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Bridgewater.... I wonder if it and its neighbouring towns will have their big illuminated carnivals this year?
Beautiful tracery, too. It has some intriguing details, such as that pair of ornamented arches with what appears to be a small, shuttered window between them.
'
That's a fine three-abreast galloper set in your first picture - there can't be many of those still touring.
Several years ago the Post Office commissioned a set of stamps with a stylised depiction of a gallopers - only thing was, the artist have obviously never visited a British fairground, for he or she had drawn the ride the wrong way round, travelling left to right!
'
Bridgewater.... I wonder if it and its neighbouring towns will have their big illuminated carnivals this year?
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ArishMell · 70-79, M
@devonman I imagine they do raise a lot of money for charity, too.
Weymouht used to have a big and quite different type of Carnival, orgnaised by the Round Table. Because it was held in the middle of August all events including maritime and air displays and the procession itself were in daylight, except for the fireworks late enough in the evening for darkness.
In the last several years though it became harder to sustain, several major local organisations that had previously always provided the biggest and best floats have disappeared; and it was more and more difficult to raise sufficient interest and committment to run it. The pandemic was probably the last straw and there seems little or no prospect of the Carnival being revived.
I fear this could be a pattern for so many other big public, outdoor events generally, if it's not already happening.
Weymouht used to have a big and quite different type of Carnival, orgnaised by the Round Table. Because it was held in the middle of August all events including maritime and air displays and the procession itself were in daylight, except for the fireworks late enough in the evening for darkness.
In the last several years though it became harder to sustain, several major local organisations that had previously always provided the biggest and best floats have disappeared; and it was more and more difficult to raise sufficient interest and committment to run it. The pandemic was probably the last straw and there seems little or no prospect of the Carnival being revived.
I fear this could be a pattern for so many other big public, outdoor events generally, if it's not already happening.
ArishMell · 70-79, M
@devonman The point of making it a competition is to keep the standard up, provided due allowance is made for smaller groups and walking entries of course.
Most are sponsored in one way or another, but "grants"? From where? Council Tax income? I can't see that being popular or simple - might just as well give the money straight to the chosen charities anyway; but even if legal that would release all sorts of tinned [i]Lumbricidae[/i].
The North Somerset, Winter carnivals might survive; but as Weymouth's shows although a similarly-sized town and attracting a huge "captive-audience" of Summer holiday-makers, any Carnival needs the will and people to organise it or to enter it.
There are three main threats and two possible consequences.
- Manpower. The organisers and entrants are volunteers, and when it becomes personally too much, lose interest or disappear from the area, they are lost to the event. If insufficient volunteers of suffient calibre take their places, nothing can happen.
- External pressure. Insurers wanting ever more money and for ever more restrictions. Rules and regulations that may or may not be intended to hit voluntary bodies, but do so anyway; and become more and more of a burden.
- Expense. Not enough money from anywhere including previous event income, to buy or hire the goods and services needed - no viable event.
SO
- The event declines, attracts fewer quality entrants and organisers, income available for paying the nest year's expenses drops; so it fades away.
- Any or all of those pressures above, collapses the event immediately, with little prospect of renewal.
Most are sponsored in one way or another, but "grants"? From where? Council Tax income? I can't see that being popular or simple - might just as well give the money straight to the chosen charities anyway; but even if legal that would release all sorts of tinned [i]Lumbricidae[/i].
The North Somerset, Winter carnivals might survive; but as Weymouth's shows although a similarly-sized town and attracting a huge "captive-audience" of Summer holiday-makers, any Carnival needs the will and people to organise it or to enter it.
There are three main threats and two possible consequences.
- Manpower. The organisers and entrants are volunteers, and when it becomes personally too much, lose interest or disappear from the area, they are lost to the event. If insufficient volunteers of suffient calibre take their places, nothing can happen.
- External pressure. Insurers wanting ever more money and for ever more restrictions. Rules and regulations that may or may not be intended to hit voluntary bodies, but do so anyway; and become more and more of a burden.
- Expense. Not enough money from anywhere including previous event income, to buy or hire the goods and services needed - no viable event.
SO
- The event declines, attracts fewer quality entrants and organisers, income available for paying the nest year's expenses drops; so it fades away.
- Any or all of those pressures above, collapses the event immediately, with little prospect of renewal.
sunrisehawk · 61-69, M
SomeMichGuy · M
Laundryboy · 31-35, M
Bridgewater is a nice town on the River Parrot. Have you seen the tidal bore come as far as Bridgewater?