19 May 2008

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Only four weeks to go from next Saturday! The Committee members and the many participants are hard at work preparing for this special 25^th Anniversary Carnival and the event is beginning to take shape:

This promises to be large, colourful and spectacular. All the 8 primary schools in the area have entered floats or a walking tableau together with entries by several businesses and charities. These include 4 floats from the Otley Sailing Club who are celebrating their 50th anniversary; the River Wharfe Irish Dancers; the Otley Citizens Advice Bureau, the Yew Tree Pub; the 2^nd Otley Scouts; the Foot Loose Dance School; the 1^st, 2nd & 3^rd Caley Rainbows; and 2 majorette groups. In addition, there will be some Harley Davidson bikes, a steam traction engine, various cars, mini buses and a Sammy Legard bus!

There will be a total of 9 bands – the Otley Town Band, the City of Leeds Pipe Band, the Yorkshire Volunteers, the Prince Henrys Concert Band, the Benton Park Samba Band, The Foxwood Steel Bandits (with East Steel), the Imperial Crusaders, the Clifton Drummers and the Inside Out Samba Band which includes Prince Henry’s, The Whartons and Pool schools.

The parade will be led by the Carnival Queen and her attendants who deserve our praise for their patience. They were all elected into office last year but as the event was cancelled due to the appalling weather they have had to wait a year for their big moment. They will be travelling in a 1924 Model T Ford lorry!
There are 5 trophies awarded to the best floats or tableau as well as certificates.
The judges will decided on the winners before the parade leaves the Leeds road Auction Mart.

As usual, the parade will lead the crowd into the showground at Bridge End where there will be a range of fun activities, games and stalls. This anniversary year there will be the largest ever collection of carnival stalls and activities including:

A fairground including roundabouts; miniature trains; Punch & Judy; inflatables; trampolines; a fun house; go carts; pony rides (for younger children); for older children a bungee trampoline and a climbing wall; paint ball range; and a wonderful choice of food and drinks including a navy chef’s stall.

The activities include crowning the queen; steel band music; prize giving; a dog obedience display by the ‘tail waggers’; a Harley Davidson display; falconry displays; a display from Guide dogs for the Blind; and the carnival draw will be held.

All the activities are detailed in the Carnival Programme which includes the parade timing and route together with a map of the arena and events. All the runners up in our painting competition are included and the winning poster is featured on the front cover. The programme is a quality-finished product and is now on sale (£1 copy) at the following venues:

Otley Library
Pitts Garage, Leeds Road
Pilkingtons Newsagents, Gay Lane
Bondgate Fisheries
The Courthouse
The Harvest, Boroughgate
Mounsey’s, Boroughgate

The Committee would like to express their grateful thanks to the many local businesses who have taken out adverts in the programme which has ensured that we have covered the printing costs and even provided a surplus which will go into the ‘pot’ for the benefiting organisations.

This year’s carnival is in aid of:

Behind Closed Doors
Otley Courthouse project
Hawthorn Family Support Centre (Mencap)
Otley Town Junior Football Club
Over the 25 years of the Otley Carnivals an estimated £70,000 has been raised for local charities or organisations.

Every year a draw is held to assist with the fund raising. There are numerous prizes, the star one being £200 which has been donated Wm Sinclair & Sons. Tickets are available from any of the committee members or the beneficiaries.

The Committee wish to acknowledge the kind gesture by Yorkshire Water and Balfour Beatty in donating a substantial sponsorship towards this year’s carnival as thanks to the people of Otley for their patience during their recent work in the town.

In addition to the above, money is also collected on the day by street collections amongst the crowds watching the parade and at the showground. There are never sufficient collectors to approach the 25,000 people who are expected. Any volunteers would be very welcome – simply turn up between 12.30 and 1 pm to pick up a collecting tin at the parade starting point at the Leeds Road Auction Mart.

Every year all the shop owners in the town are asked to decorate their windows to add to the carnival atmosphere. This is organised as a competition and trophies and certificates are awarded to the best overall window as well as to the first, second and third windows in each of the classes of large, medium and small sized windows. A team of 4 judges carries out the judging and it takes place on the Sunday afternoon before the carnival (Sun 15^th June). In recent years more than 30 windows have been decorated in support of the carnival.

Letters inviting entries have been distributed to all shops in the town but anyone wishing to enter can do so by phoning Geoff Wright on 01943-465179.

For further information contact Geoff Wright on 01943-465179