Island Life Magazine Ltd April/May 2014 | Page 109
125 years of Ventnor Carnival
Ventnor Carnival reaches a remarkable
milestone this year with its 125th
anniversary. Celebrations start on Sunday
August 10 with the carnival dedication
service at St Catherine’s Church at 10.30
am. Every day during the week there are
events on during the day and evening
for all age groups. Ventnor Carnival is
self-funding these events help to fund it.
The first Ventnor Carnival was held on
September 10, 1889, and has entertained
and thrilled onlookers ever
since. In 1936 the first Carnival
Ball was held in the ‘New
Winter Gardens’, and The
Ventnor Jazz Band made a
yearly visit to the carnival ball
where they would interrupt the
dance and entertain the crowd.
Many famous celebrities have
either opened the Carnival or
crowned the Carnival Queen,
including Jimmy Tarbuck,
Bob Monkhouse, Kenny
Lynch, Jack Douglas, Norman
Wisdom, Les Dennis, Melvyn
Hayes and Dick Emery.
There have been many memorable
moments along the way. Ventnor Fire
Brigade used to put an entry into the
Carnival, but they always had a Green
Goddess fire engine at the front and a
proper fire engine at the back, so if a call
out occurred they could get away easily. In
1964 they entered a float with the Firemen
dressed as Swan Lake Ballerinas and yes,
there was a call out!
Winners of the comic Tableaux and best in
procession was the Park View Temperance
Society’s entry entitled ‘Southern Waters
Flying Circus’ which was a ‘dig’ at Southern
Water after their decision to abandon the
Fishing Jetty Scheme and pump sewage
from Ventnor to Sandown. The float
contained sewage pipes, a pump and a
notice ‘To Sandown’, participants wore hard
hats and fancy dress.
In 1995 The committee of the ‘Niton
Mackeral Fayre’ entered a chariot built
for the recently held event
at which they had a Roman
theme. During the procession
they raided the crowd and
captured ‘slaves’ which they
auctioned back to the cheering
crowd for a donation to
Carnival funds. If captured you
were given wine - blackcurrant
squash and water - and a
bunch of grapes.
This year the fun through
the streets of Ventnor will
continue as the Carnival
prepares for the next 125
years!