Chinewrde Carnival Collective Profiles: Ley

As Stixx Mallone in the Chinewrde Marching Band, 2011

My Family have been in Kenilworth Carnival for approx. 50 years. For several years we entered family floats (the ‘Harris Family’) and won several prizes. Then a few members entered as fancy dress walkers, so combined we have quite a few trophy’s.

During the years entering the Carnival, I have been a violin player in a classical band, a jiving army officer, a zombie page boy, and Indiana Jones! Worryingly there is a common denominator in most of the characters I play - I cross dress as a male!

In 2010 we formed the Chinewrde Carnival Collective, and I love the argumentative meetings we have where we decide a theme, then all the rehearsals.

The actual Carnival day is the biggest buzz of all, rushing around and wondering: have we got the time to dress the lorry? Will the music be loud enough? What if we fall of the lorry? Then the rush of thinking will we get a trophy? Have we won in our class? Where shall we display the cup if we are lucky enough – which we have been in the past!