Long Eaton - A Walk & A Parade
w/e 18 June 2023
All of this week's pictures were taken with a Nikon D3300
People travelled hundreds of
miles yesterday (Saturday 17th June 2023) to see a parade in
London celebrating the King's Official Birthday at the Trooping
of the Colour ceremony. We also went to see a parade but it was
much closer to home at the Long Eaton Carnival.
We caught a bus into Long Eaton which was scheduled to reach
the town centre at 11:15am but all the town centre roads were
closed from 11:00am and the buses were diverted around the outskirts.
That meant we arrived close to the entrance to West Park on Wilsthorpe
Road which meant a swift walk across the park to reach the town
centre. The parade had started on the park from the carnival
site and associated Fun Fair (both of which we passed) at 11:00am
and headed to Sawley before returning up Tamworth Road so it
had long gone by the time we arrived.
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On our trek across the park we could hear the sound in the distance
of the band leading the parade but we still had a ten minute
wait after joining the expectant crowd on Tamworth Road outside
the library before it arrived.
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After a hot and sunny week, showers were forecast for Saturday
and one was due in Long Eaton at about 11:30am. True to form
a few spots of rain started to fall minutes before the Ambassadors
of Derby Showband marched past.
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A few of the spectators had umbrellas but the Carnival Queen
and her entourage travelling in an open top car behind the band
were well prepared.
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Participants in the parade were on foot like the Long Eaton Sea
Cadets, in cars like representatives of Jolly Jingles Children's
Entertainer or on the back of lorries. There were quite a number
of the latter but the two pictured are the Erewash Music Society's
Youth Group who will be performing "Footloose" in July
and a lorry load of children from Dovedale Primary School.
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Ilkeston didn't have a carnival this year but as both towns are
in the Borough of Erewash, the town was represented by Ilkeston
Brass.
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Many of those walking in the parade were wearing brightly coloured
costumes.
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There was a large contingent of rugby players of many different
age groups. I saw banners for teams of Under 7s through to Under
16s and there may well have been more. Watching youngsters on
the sidelines were being encouraged to join in with the fun too.
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As the front of the parade paused in the town centre near The
Green those following on behind ground to a halt for a few minutes
but the ladies of the Sawley Women's Institute were quite happy
to give us a wave and a smile.
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Eventually the parade moved on with a Fire Engine bringing up
the rear followed only by a van and trailer picking up barriers,
bollards etc so the the roads could be reopened. Needless to
say as the parade continued on its way back to West Park, the
rain stopped, the sun came out and an afternoon of fun beckoned.
Unfortunately we had to be in Ilkeston before 2:00pm so as soon
as the roads were clear again, it was on the bus back home.
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