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| Fireworks at Deal Pier |
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| Raft Race |
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| The lorry pull event |
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| Forrest Amusements on Walmer Green |
Well, it is a long old story of how I entered for the Carnival, but if you have read one of my previous blogs; mybin - then you just might understand why?!! Yes, mybin is famous...well on Deal Watch, that is...ha, ha!
I challenged myself to enter the carnival parade...it's my town and why not...I had a madcap excuse now, and dared myself to enter on social media and had encouragement from my community peeps. My dear darling wife was dead against, but even she succumbed with an hour to go and gave mybin a thoroughly good clean.
...had to get...
I had to get into the spirit of regatta week, and boy it had been a long, long time since I had honestly enjoyed being at all of the important events...sorry folks but I am a tad too old for the teddy bears picnic and the baby show...(er, you never just know at 51)...no, just a big baby at heart!
So, taking my son to the lorry pull was part of the build up I was going through. "Do you want to enter the lorry pull, son?" At first, he was hesitant, but when he saw a friend from school and he said yeah lets do it then there was no turning back. Lewis and Riley gathered some friends, called themselves The Rizzles and entered the junior lorry pull event. Lewis being Lewis, having a wanting to win attitude, then joined his rugby team, as there were one too many in The Rizzles and pulled with the Special Legends...and yes they were all fantastic ambassadors for the youth of our town, as were all the teams involved.
What a buzz, Lewis gained a medal and VIP treatment at the forthcoming firework display...they didn't exactly win the lorry pull...but they will next year! At the fireworks, while Lewis and the rest of his lorry pull team, Special Legends, were in the VIP area watching the display, us parent were stood, yes stood, on the beach watching...oh stood were you, while the thousands of others around you were sat down on the pebbles...problem...hell no of course, I sat...not going to look the odd one out!?!
The biggest problem were getting out of the car park...took 20 minutes, 20 bloody minutes...some drivers eh?
Carnival Day
So, Carnival Day was upon us, and I was full of excitement...and I should bless my wife for her flourished finale of help..."That bin ain't clean, Michael"...and she found me a wig to wear as well. So I was looking the part...
...yes this was my attire, my disguise. No one would recognise me...well tough because being famous I stood out like a sore thumb.
Hearing shouts of "mybin" and "Prudence" were brill. But I have to say this was daunting...waiting I had a feeling of anticipation of staying the route...well the wig was in my face, the crowds were in their thousands, crowding onto the road at places, making merry, pointing their fingers and laughing and gossiping and all the kids lining the streets ready with their pennies to place in the collection pots...for each penny collected a patting of Prudence was for their delight...Prudence the big soft cuddly toy tiger...too big for our house...and I was under instruction to give her away!
First
Oh, what made this easier for me, was that I had gotten First in the adult fancy dress...just my luck! Yes, mybin got first place...
And I was spotted by my many Facebook peeps....
Well, that collection pot was certainly well heavy at the end of the route and my arm ached for hours after. And not long after a lady captured this picture of me after the parade, and during a lift back with a good friend, Prudence was given away...and I known she went to someone special because the family we randomly chose were so delighted their smiles could have touched Kingsdown cliffs and may have bounded into Thanet as well.
Well, I did it...and damn well pleased as well...fantastic to have got first and a Deal Carnival Winner's Trophy. Will it be on to bigger and better...maybe. But folks if I can do it there must be others who can as well.
God bless and amen to you all.
Acknowledgements to; East Kent Mercury, Deal Watch and Deal town Facebook pages
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