Carnival Day 2012

Sunday 24 June 2012 saw the return of the Hertford Carnival after a break of over ten years. Participants, businesses and volunteers all played their part in ensuring the new carnival went with a bang! 

As well as the traditional procession through the town, entertainment and stalls took place in the grounds of Hertford Castle, with other events scattered throughout the town.

After waiting for so long for their new carnival, the people of Hertford turned out in droves to make Carnival 2012 a success.  On the procession route, the crowd was ten deep in places, and the Castle grounds were full of people enjoying the stalls, refreshments and entertainment.  Attendance in the town was estimated at around 8,000 people.  At procession lead-off time, there were over 2,500 people on Hartham alone.

As a day it was a huge success; everyone enjoyed themselves, thousands were raised for charity, and the whole community was united in a riot of colour and entertainment!

What took place

Click on to read more details (or scroll down to read the whole page);

• The opening

• The theme

• Charity collections

• The court

• The procession

• Stalls in the grounds of Hertford Castle

• Arena entertainment at Hertford Castle

• Other events on the day

• Miscellaneous

• Feedback

Onward navigation

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Click here to read about the support for the day from businesses and volunteers.

Click here for other information, such as competition winners (including the princess) and chosen charities.

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Note;

Slideshows will auto-play until you hover on them. Refresh to restart!
Photos shown on this page are just some of the best. Thanks to everyone who sent us theirs.

You may also like to see;
Mercury coverage; http://www.hertfordshiremercury.co.uk/Hertfordshire/Fun-and-games-at-Hertford-Carnival-22062012.htm
Read the Mayor’s commentary on the day, complete with photos, at;
http://mayorofhertford.com/hertford-carnival-returns/
Hertford net's slideshow of the day; http://www.hertford.net/pictures/2012/carnival/

 

The Opening

The Carnival was formally opened by the Mayor of Hertford, Cllr Jane Sartin, at midday in the Castle grounds.

Cllr Sartin (herself a former Hertford Carnival princess) gave an opening speech before introducing the Carnival princess and attendants to the crowd.  Mayor, court and crowd then counted down to mark the opening! For a photo, see arena.

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Theme

The theme of the Carnival 2012 day was the international ‘A Festival of Nations’, and procession entries, stall-holders and performers were all encouraged to follow this.

This was felt appropriate in a year when the eyes of the world were on the UK, with over 200 nations represented at the Olympics, and the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee marked across the Commonwealth.

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Charity collections

We wanted Hertford Carnival to benefit our local community, and charities were selected to be the beneficiaries of all monies raised on the day from street and bucket collections.  The chosen charities for Carnival 2012 were Young Life and the Toy Library; click here for more details of the charities. Over £3000 was raised for them, thanks to people's generosity!

The charities are also shown below taking part in Carnival Day 2012 (see the procession and stall slideshows).

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Carnival court

The Carnival court, who were an integral part of the day, consisted of princess Olivia Allen and her two attendants, Gemma Caruana and Ella Capel. Read about the Mercury competition and the girls here, and look out for the photos of the girls taking part in carnival day in the procession and arena photos.

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The Procession

Over thirty floats lined up to parade through Hertford on Carnival day 2012!

Entries came from clubs, community organisations, charities, and businesses, and took the form of floats, decorated vehicles, classic cars, bands, and walking troupes.  Preference was given to Hertford-based participants in order to make it a really local carnival. 

Entries were encouraged to be visually exciting, thought-provoking or entertaining, and in keeping with the overall upbeat spirit of the Carnival, and this they certainly were as everyone set out to have a good - and very colourful - time! 

Participants were also encouraged to follow the ‘Festival of Nations’ theme, either by representing a chosen country or an international group, and by any means desired (national costumes, music, dance, film characters etc). As a result, the world was brought to the streets of Hertford!

The watching crowd was ten-deep in places, and the sun kept the rain at bay.

Participants were euphoric at the reaction they received on the route and at the size of the crowds.  

Selected photos of the procession are here;

(Steve Beeston photos courtesy of Steve Beeston photography).

The procession left Hartham at 2pm, and took approximately one hour to wind its way around the town.

The route was;

• Hartham (assembly point), Hartham Lane, Old Cross, The Wash, Parliament Square, Fore Street, Market Street, Railway Street, Mill Road, Mead Lane (dispersal point).

• For a map, click here.

Trophies for best procession entries were awarded in the following categories;

• Best Commercial Group; McMullens – with their superb dray horses

• Best Non Profit Making Group; Mudlarks - with their colourful barrows
  

• Best Youth Group; Hertford Town Youth FC – for their very colourful representation of Brazil
  

Photos of the winners are shown below;

(Steve Beeston photos courtesy of Steve Beeston photography).

Floats were judged by the Mayor, Cllr Jane Sartin, and the Carnival court, just prior to the procession.  Design, visual impact, and effort were all considered, as well as enthusiasm and portrayal of the theme.  Trophies were  awarded later in the afternoon in the Castle grounds (see arena).

The procession participants/order was as follows; 

 

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Stalls in the grounds of Hertford Castle

From 11.30am - 5.30pm on Carnival Day there were stalls and refreshments in the packed grounds of Hertford Castle.

There was a heavy demand for pitches.  Preference for stall applicants was given to Hertford-based applicants, and favourable rates were given to local businesses and/or charities.  Those who could offer an international twist – as per our ‘Festival of Nations’ theme - were particularly welcomed.  Other stalls were simply crowd-pleasing favourites!

Photos of the stalls are here;

(Steve Beeston photos courtesy of Steve Beeston photography).

There were over fifty stalls, with the list of exhibitors as follows;

2nd Bengeo Guides	Inca Design Jewellery
2nd Bengeo Scouts	Independent Phoenix Traders
Bowman’s Children’s Rides	Jo Jingles
Castle Kingdom	Kisses4Kids Charity
Celtic Harmony Camp	Kolourful Palestine
Clair’s Cakes	Legend Tennis Club
Costco Wholesale	Life Fire Brigade
Eat Drink Ideas	Lion’s Club of Hertford
East Herts Council Waste Services	Mr Simms Sweets
Ebony Majorettes	Riversmead Housing Association (see Sponsors)
EdcuAid	Royal Marines Association
Everyone Active (see Sponsors)	Rotary & Inner Wheel Clubs of Hertford
Friends of Evron & Wildeshausen	Sainsbury’s (see Sponsors)
Guide Dogs for the Blind	SAD Cat Rescue
Hertford & District Camera Club	Saloon Hotels & Bars Ltd
Hertford & District Royal Air Force Association	St Andrew’s Church
Hertford & Ware Bee Keepers	St Joseph’s Primary School
Hertford & Ware Crime Prevention Panel	The Bag Ladies
Hertford Gymnastics	Velorax Ltd
Hertford Football Club	Vos Designs Ltd/Ritzy Fashion Accessories
Hertford Museum	What’s Got 3
Hertford Tourist & Information Centre	Young Life (see Beneficiaries)
Hertford Toy Library (see Beneficiaries)	Webb Enterprises Ltd
Herts Aid	Mr Whippy Icecreams
Herts Building & Preservation Trust	Wonderful Things Face Painting
Herts Water Walkers

Feedback from pitch-holders

According to a survey we conducted of the pitch-holders afterwards, having a stall at Hertford carnival was definitely useful for promoting their organisations and/or selling goods. Favourable comments included;

• Made the sun shine!! Obviously well advertised and organised. Good amount of stalls to attract people. Bengeo Guides

• Day was well organised. St. John’s

• All fine.  It was excellent all round. Many thanks, see you all in 2013! Mr. Whippy

• Organisation was good. Guide Dogs

• The carnival was excellent in enabling us to promote our organisation. Guide Dogs

• FAB exposure! I have given out so many business cards directing customers to my site. Friendly, helpful and flexible in order to accommodate. Thank you so much. Crafty Kate

• The marketing and organisation was done well. Very good job. TIC

• Pitches clearly marked and helpful young (Royal Air Force) cadets assisting and helping us to carry & move equipment. SAD Cat Rescue

• Great selection of organisations, good spacing of pitches, lots happening to attract attendees.  Great family feel. We had a wonderful time at the carnival and felt that the event was very well organised. We had such lovely feedback from the people of Hertford and we are looking forward even more to opening the store on Wednesday. Sainsburys (who opened their Hertford store that week)

• Attracted so many people to Hertford. Everyone was very positive (about the carnival). Thanks very much for organising the carnival. It was a super event for us and we made an all-time record amount; we were obviously delighted with this. It was a happy fun event. Please book us the same spot for next year! 2nd Bengeo Scouts

• Organisation and support staff always at hand. Hertford & Ware Crime Prevention Panel

• Excellent organisation. Committee visible on day. St Andrew’s Church

Suggestions for how we might improve were taken on board (although some suggestions are unfortunately not possible and/or were personal preferences that might not suit all). These were;

• Better information for the pitch participants needed up-front (eg regarding entry into site, map of location of pitch)

  • We will endeavour to address this in 2013.  Last year we had a lot of late entries, and, particularly as it was a new event, we felt compelled to allow them. To avoid this in 2013, please apply now!

• Put more facilities such as food, drink and loos on the island instead of putting all facilities on main lawn. Sad Cat Rescue

  • We aimed for central facilities, but appreciate it may have seemed clustered. In 2013 the stalls will be on Hartham, and we will endeavour to spread everything out.

• Changing of set up time

  • Most traders wanted an earlier time (although some later!); in 2013 the set up time will be from 8am instead of 9am.

• More advertising prior to the event
  

• We have reviewed our options for 2013, and will be pursuing only those avenues which worked better last year.  Suggestions and/or spreading the word are welcome! – click here for how you can help. 

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Arena entertainment at Hertford Castle

From 11.30am - 5.30pm on Carnival Day there was entertainment, including arena events, in the packed grounds of Hertford Castle. 

Groups or individuals were encouraged to perform in the arena on the lawn in front of the Castle, with preference being given to local participants, especially those who could bring an international ‘Festival of Nations’ flavour to the proceedings! 

Photos of these events are here;

(Steve Beeston photos courtesy of Steve Beeston photography).

Events took place as follows;

11.30am-12.00pm Wildeshausen (Hertford's German twin) Band
12.00pm Opening of the Carnival by the Mayor of Hertford Cllr Jane Sartin, accompanied by the Carnival Princess and Attendants
12.05-12.45pm Everyone Active Zumba
1.00-1.15pm Stagecoach
1.30-1.45pm Celtic Harmony
(2.00-3.00pm Carnival)
3.00-3.15pm Bellybelles
3.30-3.45pm Al Ashbal Group
4.00-4.30pm Wildeshausen band
4.30-4.45 Prize giving (winning floats and Princess and Attendants) by Mark Prisk MP and Steve Cox from main sponsor Everyone Active 
5.00-5.20pm Celtic Harmony

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Other events on the day

Other events were carefully co-ordinated to take place throughout the town on Carnival day so that spectators could enjoy a town-wide extravaganza!

Funfair on Hartham
A funfair took place on Hartham from midday to 8pm.

Canal Barges on the River Lea
There was a display of barges on the River Lea.

Classic Cars at Hartham
There was a large display of vintage cars on display at Hartham.

Model Railway Day at the Museum
A special model railway exhibition took place in the afternoon at Hertford Museum, with teas also being offered in the garden. Around 700 people attended this exhibit alone!

Photos of these events are here;

(Steve Beeston photos courtesy of Steve Beeston photography).

Open Churches Sunday at All Saints
All Saints’ Church in Queens Road was open to the public, providing refreshments and a moment of tranquillity from the bustle outside.

Hertford Symphony Orchestra Gala Concert at the Theatre
HSO put on a rousing Olympic-themed concert in the afternoon at the Theatre. The programme included anthems such as Ravel's Bolero (which accompanied Torvill and Dean's medal winning
performance), Chariots of Fire, Nessun Dorma and Jerusalem, and provided plenty of opportunity for flag waving!

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Miscellaneous

The committee provided a free park-and-ride service between Bengeo Nursery, Hartham, the Castle, and County Hall.  This was used to transport people between the extra car parks open for public use and the entertainment venues.

Programme were printed by a local company (Fingerprints design), sold in advance and on the day, and taken away as a souvenir!

First aiders were on hand during the day, with personnel taking part in the procession and manning a first-aid tent in the Castle grounds.

Participants and spectators stuck to Health & Safety guidelines and thus ensured a safe and enjoyable day for all.

Professional and amateur photographers took a variety of pictures during the day. A selection has been included on these archive pages, and across the website as a whole. Thank you if you sent us yours.

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Feedback

Numerous people contacted our email address and twitter page to comment on Carnival Day 2012. We were delighted to receive so many positive comments - it made the hard work and months of planning worthwhile!

Via Twitter;

Thanks to all of you who made the carnival so great! I had to promise the kids it won't be twelve years til the next one!

Great for Hertford - full of people, happy faces, having fun. Really good community spirit. Many thanks.

Really hope this revives the tradition. Let us know when you are recovered and have decided if you're doing one next year!

LOVED yesterday. Never seen so many people in Hertford! Well done to all involved!

You did Hertford proud on Sunday. Fantastic time had by all.

Fantastic day and great atmosphere. Well done to all the organisers and those who took part.

Fantastic fun yesterday. Thanks to all who organised it. Looking forward to the next one :-)

Well done for great event. Know from experience how much hard work is involved. Huge benefit to town centre.

Good carnival. Best I have been to this year. Nice parade, could have done with more badgers though(!).

Great job. Fantastic procession! Just like the days when the carnival was at its best.

It was a lovely day and I got to do some hula hooping too, with the excuse of having my toddler next to me!

Excellent day! Can you it all again next year?

Well done to Hertford Carnival, Hertford Museum, Hertford Town Council, Hertford Police. Thanks for a fantastic day enjoyed by everyone.

Great carnival - well done. Roll on next year.

Congratulations and thanks to all involved.

Via our email address;

Hi. I felt compelled to write and say a big thank you for being brave enough to take a risk on Hertford Carnival. I remember the last one ten years ago and you surpassed that. I'm so glad so many people turned out for the event and well done to all that took part. It was awesome! Already looking forward to next year's.

Thank you for organising a great day. We had a great time.  

Other;

Via the Mayor's blog; Everyone I have spoken to have raved about the Carnival and I am to pass on the message that they want to see it again next year!

Comment from the Mayor, who herself played a huge part in the planning and day; Congratulations on the success!

The Tourist Information Centre in the town also received lots of (verbal) positive feedback.

Comment on the Mercury slideshow; Great effort from Hertford Town Council and all other parties involved in putting together such a colourful and varied Carnival. A well deserved, large attendance, of mums, dads and grandparents, will be hoping there is no repeat 12 years absence as the young ones so enjoyed it. The smile on the new Mayor was a picture and well deserved.

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