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!