BRITAIN’S most famous record-breaking bricklayer will cement Nuneaton Carnival’s place in history on Sunday June 10th – as the town’s biggest charity event of the last century brings down the curtain on the nation’s Jubilee celebrations.

As the public catches its breath from a week of partying to commemorate the Queen’s 60 years on the throne – Midlands strongman John Evans will be holding court as the gala’s star attraction in the main arena.

RECORD-BREAKER: Strongman John Evans will be the gala’s star turn

The crowd-pulling pensioner, with an astonishing array of 71 world ‘firsts’ for balancing everything from milk crates to Mini cars on his head, will be adding his considerable weight to making this year’s carnival one the borough will never forget.

And certainly from a man whose number-crunching lifts put even TV’s Geoff Capes in his place – the 2012 event is already “set in stone” as a record breaker in its own right.

The big-hearted carnival, that started its life as a local charity donor during the Great Depression of 1930 by helping raise cash for the old Manor Hospital in Nuneaton, is holding a golden jubilee – the 50th consecutive event since it was revived in 1963.

CARNIVAL FAREWELL: Chairman Robin Thomas leaving the post after 30 years on the committee and 10 as its head

The Britain At Its Best-themed procession and gala on Sunday promises to be the most memorable milestone in the event’s history – sharing the limelight in the same week as the country toasts Queen Elizabeth’s mammoth devotion to her subjects.

It’s already a truly regal affair. Selection night in April was on the Queen’s 86th birthday and the three-hour procession, comes at the end of the nation’s celebration’s for Her Majesty’s Diamond Jubilee.

The organisation’s head, Robin Thomas, is chalking up two records – firstly 30 years as a member of the organisation and 10th as chairman of Nuneaton Carnival.

And Nuneaton MP Marcus Jones has paid tribute to the town’s carnival, calling it the “toast of Westminster”.

Carnival toast of Westminster, says MP Marcus Jones

He said that many of his fellow members represent constituencies that have not had a carnival in their town or city for up to 20 years.

“It is with great pride I am able to talk about still having a carnival in my constituency,” he added.

Charity is definitely the name of the game for an event which hopes to raise £6,000 from street collections – and organisers are watching the weather forecast, praying there is no repeat of last year’s rain-deluged event in 2011 which saw its fund-raising total slashed to £2,400.

That will mean upwards of a third of a million coins being counted at the end of the day.
In addition, organisers are confident that the 30 charity stalls on the gala field next to Nuneaton Boys Club should see a further £10,000 going straight into organisations’ coffers.

Another record breaker will be second-time Nuneaton mayor John Haines who’ll be the only civic head in the borough’s history to lead the procession twice. His mayoral car will launch the estimated three-hour procession from Avenue Road at 1pm – with at least two dozen carnival float vehicles following on and up to 1,000 individuals involved in the pageant.

The procession this year has presented an unprecedented challenge to the committee as a new national directive means the organisation ‘policing’ the event itself through the town’s streets for the first time – the number of marshals increasing from three last year to more than 40 on Sunday.

KING OF CHARITY: La Tavola Calda restaurant owner Mick Emmanuel celebrates 30 years of giving to the carnival cause – with this year’s queen, far left, and maids

“With the withdrawal of police support we have had to do a huge amount of work behind the scenes and we have been helped significantly by Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, and its leader Dennis Harvey, to ensure a safe carnival procession,” said carnival chairman Robin Thomas. “Additionally we have had to find many additional marshals, a challenge in itself.

School’s out forever for 16-year-old Higham Lane pupil Dawn Haffner who becomes the second youngest holder of the title of Nuneaton Carnival queen.

Selected from a dozen entrants at Bedworth Liberal Club, she was officially crowned in the town’s Market Place by Councillor Haines last month.

Dawn, the youngest of six from St Nicolas Park Drive, Nuneaton, is just finishing her GCSE exams and then after a holiday break will take up a child care apprenticeship as a teaching assistant at Stockingford Infants School when the new term starts in September.

Her three maids of honour are 17-year-old North Warwickshire and Hinckley College students Jessica Brown, of Gadsby Street, Nuneaton and Laura-Rose Smedley, of Croft Road, Nuneaton and 21-year-old Hinckley Island Hotel barmaid Megan French.

The event’s new King of Mirth is Ross Kenny, who received the ‘key’ of the borough of Nuneaton and Bedworth from the borough’s new mayor.

The Nepalese community, a Ghurka escort, pubs, dance and theatre groups, the BBC will be joined by full-size daleks, six visiting carnival courts, three new marching bands and assorted walking entries in the procession.

This year costume and float design has been assisted by a £4,500 grant from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust. And there are still some ‘building classes’ if people are interested in decorating a float. Call either 07785 347765 or go to website on www.nuneatoncarnival.org

There is the usual free entry to the gala field with a giant funfair and, apart from strongman John Evans, they’ll also be demonstrations by the Samba Dragons & Chilli Bananas, Kelly’s School Of Dance, the Rudi Wallander Comedy Car, Phantom Knights Marching Band, Dance Express and the Haddon School Of Performing Arts. Events in the main arena start at 1.30pm. Land of Hope and Glory will be sung at 5pm.

Mr Thomas added: “This will be my 30th carnival and my last year as chairman of the carnival committee – it certainly looks like being a bumper one with our theme of ‘Britain at Its Best’ looking to showcase Nuneaton at its best in this Jubilee and Olympic year”.

“We must never forget that Nuneaton Carnival is the LOCAL one, always bringing the best out its townspeople and putting the MOST back into the coffers of charities in and around the town,” said gala manager Geoff Beston.

The carnival committee wish to thank Nuneaton Club for Young People, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, the Coalfields Regeneration Trust, programme advertisers, Crown Skips (who is providing the queen’s float), lorry drivers and transport companies as well as the BBC.

In the tranquil setting of Meriden – in the heart of the English countryside, lies a hidden gem and  is the perfect backdrop for The Strawberry Bank Hotel & Restaurant and within easy reach of everything this popular village has to offer.

The Strawberry Bank – a far cry from the once Doctors house and surgery formed in an Old School- remains privately owned by it’s Spanish Proprietors since November 1985.

With a light and spacious ground floor Restaurant, provides an informal and relaxed atmosphere in which to enjoy your meal, of freshly prepared food. Our crisp white tablecloths give a traditional feel and we can promise you staff members who provide a most excellent service.

A refreshing cool drink, or something stronger- our Bar features ample seating to take advantage of our flat screen TV to watch the forthcoming attractions of an exciting summer. (Euro’s, Olympics 2012)

Come along or bring your family with you – stay here for a night or week – stay here while on business or at some kind of conference (our first class facilities make us the ideal conference venue benefiting from its own generous car park spacing) or just simply pleasure – our Hotel provides the best possible place to begin your stay in Meriden.

We are waiting to welcome you! Please visit the Strawberry Bank website

RETIRING Nuneaton Carnival queen Karla Fitzpatrick suffered heartbreak at the last hurdle of the Miss England contest.

The 18-year-old King Edward Sixth Form College student missed out on going through to the grand finals at Athena in Leicester later this month – in a semi final showdown of 56 UK beauties.

For Karla, who stepped down from carnival duties last month, actually attending last night’s event had seemed unlikely a week ago.

She has twice endured spells in Nuneaton’s George Eliot Hospital with a serious stomach condition, complicating her existing diabetes – and six weeks ago she broke her wrist in the gym at her first training session to be a boxer.

Karla, from Bedworth, had decided she must get in the best possible shape for the Miss England event – and thought she’d give boxing a try. “I just wanted to get fit for the semis,” she said.

All the semi finalists had to take part in four rounds – a morning bootcamp, interview and two fashion show catwalks in evening dress and eco wear.

When the final 15 were chosen for the two-day finals on June 24-25, Karla’s name was not among them.

“It was my first attempt at Miss England, so I’m not disappointed – and I did come eighth in the bootcamp out of 63 girls. I wish the finalists all the best,” she added.

Another Nuneaton girl – 17-year-old Jodie Duckworth – did make the 11 girls who were chosen directly by the judges at Champney Springs, Measham, plus four more who won through in a sportswoman category, a ‘beauty with a purpose’, as Miss Champneys and one via a public vote.

Jodie, who has attended Stages School of Dance for nine years, got through to the semis as Miss Charity Queen Coventry 2012 and was also the Miss Everyday runner up.

“Karla may not be in the Miss England finals but considering what she has been through recently – she’s definitely a braveheart queen,” said Nuneaton Carninal queen manager Petrina Davies.

The Carnival Programme is printed by Cawthornes of Corporation Street Nuneaton

Teenager Dawn Haffner took the cheers of the town centre market crowds as she was crowned the ‘Jubilee Queen’ of Nuneaton Carnival.

Nuneaton mayor, Councillor Neil Phillips, placed the bejewelled coronet on the 16-year-old’s head to officially mark the start of her reign in a truly special year for the event.

The crowning was staged to coincide with a signficant day in Nuneaton’s rich heritage too – the 850th occasion since the town celebrated the granting of its royal Fairs Charter by Henry II to the nuns of Eaton Abbey on the feast of the Invention of the Cross back in 1163.

It’s a big year for Nuneaton Carnival – as the 2012 event gatecrashes Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne.

For the town’s biggest charity event of the last century – which originally started out as a hospital fund-raiser in The Great Depression of 1930 – is marking its 50th consecutive parade and gala since it was revived in the modern era.

The carnival, which was brought back to the town’s events calendar in 1963 after failing to command a yearly spectacle following the end of World War Two, will share the limelight in the same week that the country toasts Queen Elizabeth’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations.

Saturday’s coronation of Dawn and her maids Jessica Brown, Megan French and Laura-Rose Smedley plus the crowning of retiring carnival royalty Karla Fitzpatrick as Markets Queen for 2012-13 was intertwined in a fun spectacle for the award-winning market crowds.

The rare sight of bright sunshine greeted Nuneaton samba band ChilliBananas and cabaret singer Amy Cartwright who provided the Charter Day entertainment.

The eight-strong new and old carnival entourage then went on to sample the delights of a special craft fair in Church Street before being ‘tempted’ to sweet treats by pick ‘n’ mix stallholder Stuart Tooby, chairman of Nuneaton Market Traders’ Association.
Finally the girls ended up at Bostocks, the Harefield Roadbutchers, where Laura-Rose Smedley, of this year’s new carnival maids, and her father works. The carnival party was welcomed by another ancient dignatory in Sir Loin Chop of Bostock.

This year’s golden jubilee carnival is being staged on Sunday, June 10.

words & pictures by Nick Hudson

If you want to attend any of the FREE workshop classes for float/costume making design & building please call the Carnival Chairman Robin Thomas on 07785 347765

Nuneaton Carnival  -  Costume and Float Building Skills

For this year we have been fortunate to obtain a grant from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust to help those entering Nuneaton Carnival design and build their costumes or floats.  Best of all this help is FREE to community groups and individuals – including materials.

We have the services of Trudy Rees-Marklow as our Carnival Artist who has worked on many carnival projects and can help you design and create your costume or float for Carnival Day on Sunday June 10^th.

Over the next few weeks  right up to Carnival Day Trudy will be running workshops in Nuneaton at weekends and evenings giving ideas or helping you with your own ideas on how this year’s theme of ‘Britain at its Best’ can be interpreted.

Some ideas to get you thinking……

Rule Britannia

Crown Jewels – giant crowns

British Sports – Football (1966), Olympics, Cycling, Cricket

Made in Britain – Mini, Land Rover, Concorde, etc

Bulldog Spirit (Churchill etc)

George and Dragon

Shakespeare

Morris Dancing/maypole

Seaside – beach scene or saucy postcards??

Elizabeth 1 and Elizabeth II contrasts

Wimbledon, Ascot

Cards, Dominoes, Darts

Street Party  -  Mad Hatter or Traditional

Big Ben, Castles

Mini Skirts, Spice Girls…….

All these as well as ones we haven’t thought of yet are possible in a way you wouldn’t have thought possible – just take some board or plastic, paint glue and fabric and let’s see what you can do!!

However time is tight and places will be limited so please get in touch with us for more information – we are looking to have our first session on Sat 19^th May – we can give more details when you contact us!!

Robin Thomas   robin.thomas63@ntlworld.com               07785347765

Mark Palmer      nuneatoncarnival@aol.com                     07967941256

Ian Clarke          nuneatoncarnival@virginmedia.com        07782131875

To celebrate the Best of British our friend Rick Middleton who is a freelance graphic designer has come up trumps with an eye-catching cover. Why not check out his website?