EPISODE 81: IN WHICH THE AUTHOR DIDN'T WATCH THE CARNIVAL.

Welcome to my blog which has had a tedious and unsatisfying week attempting to apply Amazon kindle desktop publishing formats to my script of Sad Sam. The last three days have been stuck on designing a cover which, I have to admit, I have still failed to do. I am sure it must be less complicated than it seems but for all the You-tube videos and illustrated instructions, the correct technique remains elusive. Consequently my intention to have the work ready to buy on Amazon by the end of this week has been thwarted. I can’t believe that it has taken me two weeks to only get this far.

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Glastonbury’s biggest event each year is the Carnival which always takes place in the third week of November. I don’t know what the recent figures are but the carnival used to draw a crowd of 100,000 people, which is ten times the population of the town. For someone like me, i.e. me, the fact that 100,000 will come from all over Somerset and the country to watch a series of light-bulbed floats being dragged up the High Street seems quite un-understandable. So much so that, like many of my peers, I avoid the whole thing and haven’t seen it for a good decade. Last night I briefly walked into town when the preparations were still underway. Even before leaving my house I could hear crap music blaring up the hill and could hardly fail to notice that every space was filled with cars and that a smell of burgers was replacing the usual odour of dog-shit. As I got nearer I became aware of the people. Who are they? Why have they come? Wouldn’t they prefer to come to a meaningful celebration in which they could participate rather than just spectate? And, having come all this way to watch, why do they only contribute £25,000 (40p each?) to the various charities that are being collected for?

It is said that the carnival is a west country thing. It appears to be a development of fireworks night.

Local Paper: 1870

No Band. Were it not for a few Bonfires and a display of first class Squibbing it would have been difficult to believe it was the 5th November. Two GLASS WINDOWS were broken at the Rev. Allnuts residence. Avalonians have grown tired of Bonfire Festivals.

(Squibbing is fireworks.)

I find the use of the word ‘Avalonians’ interesting; nowadays Avalonians are the freak wing of the population (like me.)

1880: The Anniversary of the frustration of the gunpowder plot was celebrated with more than the usual spirit on Friday evening. Proceedings commenced with a Firework Carnival in Benedict Street School, admission was by ticket, here the fun ran high, music was provided by the AVALONIANS BAND. Soon after 9pm the Band paraded the Town and spirits were aroused. At the top of the Town a procession was formed (FIRST MENTION OF AN ORGANISED PROCESSION) and marched to the Market Place (Cross). Squibs and crackers were let off en route. Around the Cross and up the Town again to the strains of the Band, on turning at the top of the Town an individual took the lead with a Tar Barrel which he bore aloft in triumph and at last deposited it in front of Mr Barnes shop, where it blazed away cheerfully (AGAIN THIS REFERENCE TO LIGHTED TAR BARRELS). The proceeds were brought to an end at 11pm, when the Deputy Chief Constable told the crown that he would not summons anyone for what had been done previously. This piece of good Generalship earned Deputy BISGROVE three hearty cheers and the crowd dispersed.

One can only assume that these festivities continued over the years on the 5th November, as we still have references to the lighted Tar Barrels and races with them down the High Street to the Cross. The High Street then was nothing but a dirt track.

1848-55

Open sewers ran down the High Street and in 1865 the Town Council made a reference that Cholera might be expected..

1891

In the year 1891, the Avalon Independent, the local newspaper, carried a two-page story of events which occurred in that year leading up to the November celebration. Two sets of Masqueraders appear on the scene a) The „BONFIRE BOYS‟ who had been responsible for many years‟ organising the November Bonfire on November 5th. b) a new body came along, naming themselves the CARNIVAL CLUB. These could not agree as to who would now organise the Bonfire Night. A Public Meeting was called and several hundred people attended. It was resolved to appoint a new Committee to by styled „The Glastonbury ad District Carnival Club‟, but alas the BONFIRE BOYS did not agree with this proposal and decided to carry on as before. Disagreement continued right up to and including the Bonfire Night. To mark their differences the BONFIRE BOYS arranged a huge bonfire at the top of the Town and the New Committee arranged one on the Cross. Two processions were held. They paraded through Benedict Street, Magdalene Street, Bere Lane, Chilkwell Street, Manor House Road and along Northload Street. It is noted that the two processions met in Northload Street, where they were very „polite‟ to each other and made room for each to pass by. At the conclusion of the processions, Carnivalists gave a grand display of Fireworks in the Market Place, Tar Barrels were lit in the High Street, the fun was kept up „til Midnight. At this time Mr BISGOOD, Deputy Chief Constable, appeared and congratulated everyone on such a peaceful display, he said his Officers had enjoyed a „night free of duty‟, the crowd called for three cheers for the popular Deputy Chief Constable, the Fire Brigade then extinguished all fires and the crowd wended their way home. (This is a condensed report of the article which appeared in the Avalon Independent 7th November 1891.)

‘There were over a hundred competitors, and some of the dresses were exceedingly smart; there was a close run for the prizes awarded. First honours (15/-) for the best tableau was unhesitatingly awarded to the car representing Britannia. This was a massive structure, rising tier upon tier to the height of 20 feet, and on the summit was seated Britannia with her trident, and at her feet were soldiers and sailors. On the lowest tier were stationed a number of British subjects from every point of the globe, all of whom were effectively dressed in characteristic costume.’

‘One of the features of the procession was the miniature car drawn by two donkeys, and on which was seated the two inimitable King Clowns – “uncle Joe” and “Tompkins” (Messrs. E.H. Roach and A.R. Williams) in company with their “leetle dawg”. Both Clowns were grotesquely attired, one wearing a skull cap and the other a sugar-loafer bearing the inscription “How do you do?” preceded ad guarded on either side by torch bearers came the immortal Guy Fawkes, borne aloft on the shoulders of several men, the archtraiter being drawn by a pair of horses. This was the nigger troupe each of whom manipulated an instrument of some kind and filled the air with nigger songs and absurdities. The following composed the troupe:- Messrs. W. Pearce, A. Pearce, A. Dunthorn, T. Kerridge, J. King, W. Bryant, and R. Marsh.

I was going to add a lot more there but it got lost in the cut and paste procedure. Having begun this piece with nothing but antipathy towards the carnival, a little research has added a dimension that I find quite fascinating - mind you, I’ve always had some taste for history. As far as I can tell, the carnival was a haphazard and occasional idea that continued to flicker in the first half of the twentieth century, re-emerged in the 1950s and actually only became what it is in the late 1970s. From that point of view, by the year 2050, the Glastonbury day of the Dead could seem as traditional as the carnival now does.

Not that I’ll ever know.