Wed, 20/08/2008 - 16:15
What's big, colourful, involves 2000 police officers, lasts for 3 days and has been going for 43 years?
That's right, it's the Notting Hill Carnival! This weekend the Carnival hits the streets of West London, and with it come thousands of tourists, party-goers, dancers, musicians, the whole Notting Hill area will explode in a multi-coloured street party.
I last went to the Carnival in 1998. It was an amazing experience, with Steel bands, the smells of Jamaican food wafting over the rooftops, and hundreds of people dancing all day, and all night, to the Sound Systems that pump out music from every street corner.
The next time was 2001, and it was terrible. The Police had closed off many of the streets, so most people couldn't see anything of the beautifully decorated trucks that drive through the crowds. I had to queue for 1 hour to get a beer. Then I had to queue for 30 minutes to use the toilet. There was nowhere to sit, nowhere to relax, nowhere really to dance, and empty beer cans and glasses covering the streets. It was hot, over-crowded and it was not a party atmosphere at all.
If you want some advice, get up early and get there early. Find a good place to stand/sit, and stay there all day. When night falls, head for a pub or bar where the music and dancing goes on all night. And look after your wallet/camera/purse/bag! It's not the safest place in the world...
However, this weekend also sees the first Monday bank holiday since May. A three-day weekend. Fantastic!
The August Bank Holiday is also a sign that summer is drawing to a close, and Autumn will be here soon. And this summer has been the busiest summer so far at EC London, with thousands of students coming through the big Orange doors.
We also welcomed 450 Chinese students, who took their last lesson in Trafalgar Square watching the Olympic Opening Ceremony 5000 miles away in their homeland, and were interviewed by and featured on the BBC website!
Now the Olympics are almost over, the rain is falling, the cold is coming back, and the Notting Hill Carnival is the last big festival of the summer. Soon it will be snowing, Christmas music will be playing in shops, and the London Underground will be a more comfortable temperature again...
