RYDE SPECTACULAR - SLIDESHOW: Emma Smith adds a big splash of colour to Ryde Carnival's parade. Picture by Jennifer Burton.
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RYDE Carnival celebrated its 120th anniversary in style, thanks to some truly spectacular costumes and a great selection of music from the Island’s top samba and marching bands.
Marking the carnival’s first year in association with Bestival, which stepped in to support the event after organisers issued an appeal for financial help, hundreds of revellers danced through the town on Thursday to celebrate the Island’s oldest street parade.
It was quite a community affair, with almost a dozen local schools, several associations and scores of families taking part, many of whom had made their costumes at the newly opened carnival learning centre in Westridge.
Katie Baxter, 14, who won a prize for her elaborate Mayan princess outfit, said: “I went along to get materials and make my costume for free. I think it’s really good for Ryde Carnival.”
In a nod to the carnival’s anniversary year, the parade was led by several former queens, including 1962 queen Jacqueline Griffin, who waved to the crowds from an open-top bus.
Environmental issues were a common theme, with an Isle of Wight Wind Farmers float and an ode to recycling from Greenmount Primary.
Ryde Carnival.
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Haylands Primary chose to commemorate the parade’s 120th year with a Victorian motif, while Ryde High, Bishop Lovett Middle and primary schools including St Mary’s, Dover Park, Oakfield, Nettlestone and Binstead Primary impressed the crowds with their colourful costumes.
Many of the youngsters had made their own costumes and devised dance routines at after-school carnival clubs.
There were also butterflies from PJ’s Theatre School, streams of living water from Ryde Elim Church, stilt walkers and unicyclists from Ryde Extreme Performers and an ancient Egyptian-themed float from The Park Centre, as well as fantastic individual costumes, including naughty nuns, fairies, Disney characters and Amazon hunters.
Community carnival group Mas Fusion dazzled with their spectacular Japanese-style costumes, while Binstead Community Centre had everyone laughing with their Christmas float.
Shaun Smith, dragged up as a Christmas angel, said: “It’s a bit of a comment on global warming. We think Santa’s confused by all this bad weather.”
• Full coverage, including results, in the Friday, September 5, County Press.
• Pictures from our online gallery www.iwcpgallery.co.uk below. Click on the image for a larger version.