Wednesday 31 August 2011

Life after the Notting Hill Carnival

Let us prey that the carnival be banned in the future (photo: Sue Rylance)
I am an absolute Carnival hater. Every year, the thought of an August Bank Holiday fills me with dread. The Notting Hill Carnival hits my area. Residents movement is restricted as roads get blocked off and shops board up and put their prices up in readiness for the hordes of people who decend upon the normally relaxed streets of my area.

I actually live on the route of the Carnival floats. Although I have nothing against people partying in the street and having a good time, what I do detest is the amount of litter left behind. More alarmingly, the number of people - which is a very inacurate and perhaps over polite term to describe the animals that used my Mews as a latrine. Someone even took a dump on my doorstep. All the while, the toilet blocks or 'pissoirs' as termed by the Metropolitan Police on their website, were just yards away down the road!

I had a couple of nicer moments at this year's Carnival. The nicest, apart from leaving the area to seek refuge in East London, was hearing and seeing a migrant Yellow Wagtail bound overhead as I neared the relative sanctuary of the local tube station.

Here's to hating the 2012 Carnival!

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can totally sympathise with you on this David, i've had to up sticks a couple of times for similar reasons..

Jason K said...

There are some dirty sods out there Dave...It must get really annoying having to put up with stuff like that each year. Ah well at leasst you got a flyover Yellow Wag!

Unknown said...

Nice photo:) Goes to show, when you don't like what's around you, it's best to look up.

Unknown said...

Nice photo:) Goes to show, when you don't like what's around you, it's best to look up.

Clare Evans said...

Ewww - disgusting!

I'm guessing the photo wasn't taken at this year's carnival! :)