30 August 2010
We were off to the Notting Hill Carnival to see what all the fuss is about. We decided to go in the morning before the crowd packs in and leave in the afternoon. Getting there is a nightmare for us as the Jubilee tube line was closed for engineering works. Hence we decided to take a bus but we learnt another lesson, or rather our legs learnt the lesson. We soon discovered that buses on diversion don’t stop along their diverted route so we had to walk a long way to our intended destination.
Anyway, the carnival didn’t start anywhere near the advertised 9am on their website and it was near to 11am before the procession started. We got a spot near the judging panel and stood at the front. Even though it was sunny but our spot was in the shade and it was getting chilly after 2 hours. We decided to leave to grab some food.
Even though the parade is smashing, it is not quite what I expected. The procession is not a non-stop affair and sometimes after a couple of groups we may need to wait for 15 minutes before another appears. That’s an excuse to stretch the carnival until the whole day but I could imagine if you compact the procession it would consume a lot less public resources. This carnival is a great way to celebrate the end of summer. As promised, please enjoy the photos and the short clips.
Globe Nomads review ratings: 3.5
Enjoyable carnival but transport may be a problem for some.
(please refer to ratings explanation)
Visitor Information:
Notting Hill area is closed to vehicular traffic during the carnival. Check TFL website for public transport diversions.
If you arrive early, you can probably pack a portable chair and get a front row seat.
Tip: Pack a pair of ear plugs!
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Between the parading groups there were advertisements too! What a way to make money.
There got to be at least a hundred drummers here. One word: LOUD!
Each group has their own sound system.
Lots of police officers. However, they do obstruct the view.
One Comment
I guess your waiting paid off.. The parade looks great.. Thanks to your video and pictures, it’s like I was already there watching although it would be better if I saw it live.. It just so happen that I had to go home to the Philippines so I wasn’t able to witness this.. This year, I won’t definitely miss this!