It seems our Carnival career started in the 1950’s with some Arthur Street floats.
Years ago families, friends, work colleagues and streets would enter the Kenilworth Carnival.
The Harris family grew up in Arthur Street, and although we do not have confirmed dates and theme titles, we have a pretty good idea of the floats the young family were involved in.
Some of the Arthur Street Lorries:
Circa 1953 – The old woman who lived in a shoe
(Carole)
Early 1950’s - Nursery Rhymes
(Participants tbc; Andi Pandi etc)
Later 1950’s – Arthur Street’s book of Nursery Rhymes
(Carole – Queen of Hearts; John – Little Boy Blue)
1950’s – Yellow Rose of Texas
(Peter, Fran)
Carole remembers being on the float the ‘Old woman who lived in a shoe’ and this was perhaps one of her first Carnivals. She was very young at the time. The float has a giant shoe on the lorry and the children, including Carole were sat around it.
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| Arthur Street Float: The Old woman who lived in a shoe |
We believe that Fran and Peter were more than likely on the ‘Yellow Rose of Texas’ float. Carole may have been Andi Pandi one year, perhaps on the earlier Nursery rhyme float; and then on the later nursery rhyme float she was the Queen of Hearts, and we suspect that John was Little Boy Blue on this later nursery rhyme float with her. Carole has actually been the Queen of Hearts twice in Kenilworth Carnival: once when she was younger on one of the nursery rhyme floats with her siblings and then again in 2012 for Strictly Royal float with the Chinewrde Carnival Collective.
At some point the Harris Family were involved with the float ‘The Black and White minstrels’ (Circa 1968-70), we believe that this was the first Harris Family float and not another Arthur Street float – although we are not sure... if anyone remembers being on that float, email us and let us know. Those we know to have been on this float were Winifred, Eric, (The parents), Jac and Philip, we believe other members of the family were on the float too but we are unsure who.
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| Winifred and Eric on the Black and White Minstrels float |
Fancy Dress Walker years:
1967 – Mike’s Bikes
(Carole & Ley)
1960’s – Safety Pins, Buttons and Bows
(Carole & Friend)
1960’s – Fools Pools
(Carole & Avril / Fran)
In 1967, Carole and Ley were part of Mike’s Bikes entry – with Bikes! Looking at one of the photo’s from that year, it seems that John was also taking part in the Carnival; although none of us can work out what he was meant to be!! (Again, if anyone knows, email us).
Carole with either with her friend Avril or sister Fran when she did Fools Pools – we have no photos of this year; but Carole remembers it was to do with the Vernon’s pools / spot the ball weekly competition at the time.
And also, with a friend Carole entered one year as ‘Safety Pins Buttons and Bows’ – Carole made the costumes herself, and from this point onwards she has continued to make her costumes for each Carnival year she has entered.
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| Safety Pins, Buttons & Bows |
