[LadyDay]

Peaceful start for 40th carnival








The theme of this year's carnival is freedom and justiceThe 40th Notting Hill Carnival got off to a peaceful start on Sunday, according to police.
As crowds gathered to watch the parade in west London, Scotland Yard said 10 arrests were made on the day.
More than a million people are expected to attend the event over the August Bank Holiday weekend.
Organisers hope it will be bigger than last year when attendance figures fell to about 600,000. Freedom and justice is the theme of this year's carnival.







I think everyone is over the moon that it has kept going for 40 years - it has really made a big mark on the London cultural map

Chris Mullard, chairman of the London Notting Hill Carnival Ltd



In pictures: Notting Hill Carnival Of the 10 arrests, Scotland Yard said two people have been charged, three released and one person has been issued with a fixed penalty notice.
The remaining four people are being held in custody at a west London police station.
About 10,500 officers will be on duty over the weekend in what remains the Met's biggest annual public order event.
Deputy Assistant Commissioner Steve House said: "If the weather is kind to us you could easily expect well in excess of a million people.






Last year attendance figures fell to about 600,000"We have such a large number of officers because we want it to be a safe and happy carnival. We want complete crowd safety."
Police are advising people travelling to the event to use public transport as a number of roads are closed and to plan their journey.
While the carnival is celebrating four decades, the roots of the event date back even further to the Abolition of Slavery Act in 1833 when the first Caribbean carnival was held in Trinidad.
Chris Mullard, chairman of the London Notting Hill Carnival Ltd, said: "I think everyone is over the moon that it has kept going for 40 years - it has really made a big mark on the London cultural map."

[LadyDay]

Death fears over carnival route








Plans to end the route in Hyde Park have been criticisedPeople could die at west London's Notting Hill carnival if the route is not changed, a report has warned.
The mayor's carnival strategic review group said increasing numbers and safety concerns mean one of Europe's biggest street festivals has to change.
It wants the course re-routed through Hyde Park, Bayswater Road and Harrow Road for 2005.
But review committee member Angie Bray condemned the report's findings as "scaremongering".
The 18-month review has looked at ways to boost safety at the 40-year-old festival which takes places over the August Bank Holiday weekend.







Without a fundamental change to increase public safety and reduce crowd density, a major incident at carnival could lead to significant loss of life

Report findings "Every year there is not a fatality is a year we have been lucky," Mayor of London Ken Livingstone said.
"We cannot honestly say to people who come to carnival that they are as safe as they could be."
The report stated: "Without a fundamental change to increase public safety and reduce crowd density, a major incident at carnival could lead to significant loss of life."
But review committee member Angie Bray condemned the report's findings and the mayor's "bullying and hectoring tone".
'Huge reservations'
"No-one can say hand on heart there will be no casualties, but that does not mean that this is at an emergency state," she said.
Alan Bradley, of Westminster Council, said: "We would be totally opposed to the procession finishing in Hyde Park.
"We would have huge safety reservations about the use of the park after dusk. The idea of having people in an unlit park would be hugely unsafe."
If the boroughs of Kensington and Chelsea and Westminster do not agree to alter the route, Mr Livingstone said he would call on Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir John Stevens to use his powers to change it.
from www.bbc.co.uk

[Thriller]

So ummm.. did anyone go to Notting Hill Carnival this year...?

[LadyDay]

no did not go. going to Leeds where the governement has yet to intervene.

Posted by RasBerry...
I AND I LOOK FARWAAD TO DI CARNIVAL CAAAS IT MEAN SEH ME HAVE NUFF CHANCE FI SELL MI SPLIFF AN'' LOOK FI HOOMAN TO BREED, SEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEN
Posted by Black Beauty...July 18th
From when I saw hardly n e black ppl in some areas i wasnt feeling it-barely n e vibes. THEN 2 top it off, a swedish float with swedish music and blonde hair blue eyed ppl-FOR ME THAT WAS THE LAST STRAW.............too much jokes sometimes.....

[COLTRANE]

I havent gone to the carnival this yr infact I've been there only twice but I do have a feeling that its a cultural event that should stay without loosing its objective.I think that now its more of abooty show than anything else and I would imagine that it would have been nice it they put more emphasis on education since majority who go there dont understand Black culture and the few if you ask them what they know they wont tell you anything either.Wouldnt it better it it was a cultural event thatis inclllusive of Africans as well without loosing its its carribean origins?

ohhh I thinkit would be better if they change routes and then it would be great if it endsin Hyde Park just like the anti-war march

[free]

Last carnival that I went to was either 2000 or 2001 not feeling Notting Hill anymore, the vibe just isn't the same...went to Panorama on Saturday night that was good though!!! Glad that Mangrove won too banana.gif (my friend was playing with them).

[facetygal]

Last time I went carnival was when I was about 11 or around dat age. I know exactly what u mean about booty show, and gun show cos nearly every yr someone gets shot. You can't walk as freely as u could in the past because the police block off a lot of the roads, you have to hold on tight to ur possessions in case someone try rob u, it really doesn't appeal to me at all.

The meaning of carnival got lost a long time ago, and it's too late to get it back because people don't appreciate and respect tings anymore. People don't wanna go carnival to learn anyting about culture, thats not interesting enough. They wanna go to listen to two tunes, fill up their belly and get phone numbers. I heard that this yr is the last carnival, and I'm really not surprised.

Whatever our views,it certainly isn't the last carnival.The organisers/Police were happy with the event.The only question is Does it stay at Notting Hill or move(as The London Major Ken Livingstone wants) to Hyde Park?

[LadyDay]

went to leeds it was ok. could have been loads better. the procession was like 4 hours and just nice nice. on the park there were loads of people though they opnly had like two sounds. i was told i cshould went sunday were chaka demus and pliers and ATL performed. ah well

[Sooofresh]

I reached carnival around 8pm. That is the best time as all the tourists and the "I am scared of trouble" people all leave.

It was good , although most of the sounds have finished, their was a few that everyone followed.The weather was better as their was no rain.

ONLY ONE major fight broke out, where someone got stabbed, me and my mates were near the fight and when me and my friends jumped over the barriers to avoid getting crushed by the panic of the crowd , everyone followed us and we RAN like their was no tommorow. Although Intially it was funny, afterwards their was ambulance , so it must have been serious.

Its a shame I wish carnival could go on untill 1.00 am or later, theafter parties were good. Carnival is good and should not be stopped at all!

Sooofresh wrote :

"ONLY ONE major fight broke out, where someone got stabbed, me and my mates were near the fight and when me and my friends jumped over the barriers"

Sorrybut been to plenty(too many!) Soccer games where major fights broke out but gotta tell ya....I've been going to Rock/Folk and other Concerts/Festivals for 34 years now and NEVER seen a single fight breakout.(though thats not to say it hasn't happened!!)...let alone someone being stabbed:P..Just as well I wasn't a "Punk Rock" fan.....there were 4 fights per Gig so I'm led to believe lol ....wouldn't have taken too kindly to being spat on by the groupsmoking-devil

[Sooofresh]

@cockney boy

I do understand what you are getting at?

I think One fight among 1 million people is a good record.

As you said football hooligans is worse, so maybe football event should be banned.

Do not really care about rock festivals as I have no need to be their, so whether their was no fight at rock festivals and that it is safer then carnival then good for you. You stick to your rock festivals and leave the carnival to us.

Sooofresh.....If it is fact that there was only one problem on the day out of the 500,000 who the organisers estimated attended I think we'd all settle for that in this day and age....However U said U didn't arrive 'til 8.00 when the Police like to close it down because they know with any group(football hooligans etc) that Darkness equals much greater danger.....so in the little time U were there U only saw 1 problem there may(or may not!) have been more in the previous 7/8 Hours......or others that U didn't happen to be nea