Discover your Cornwall
Cornwall accommodation
Arts and Culture
Activity Holidays
Our Business Services
THE CARNIVAL by CLIES Stevens
Related links : Golowan Mazey Day Festival Penzance Cornwall
It was some ‘ansome day! Carneeval day it was. Mother had been busy brushing and cleaning our town band uniforms, ansome they looked I telt thee. Crimson an gold Jackets with gold coloured piping on them, and the plain black trousers set the jacket off bleddy ansome!
We had been busy rehearsing the marches for weeks now, and it had got boring but we all stuck at it and now the day had come!
 |
We was to all meet in the coach park and form up there, Trombones in the front and Euphonium’s and Bb tenor horns behind ‘n flugle horns mixed in with they as well. Then the Cornets next, Dicky Peters was first cornet there, and some good I can telt thee. Then come the big bass stuff, the small side drum and the big drum.
Now, being trombones we wus right up in front, ‘cos of the slides on them see? |
There wus four on us, me and fether, He played the G flat trombone right out on the left, then twas Charlie, I don’t remember is other name now but he played the lead Bb flat trombone and bleddy good eee was an all, play anything that man could. Then twas me and another man I forget is name now.
Well, we all met in the Coach park, after they all had a pint or three in the ‘legion’ which in they days was right next door to the band room. It was a brea thing up in the coach park, men tuning up on everything, sounded like a a demented dawn chorus et did. Well by the time they all had a pee, and got the jokes all done weth, the master got us all formed up with the floats and the rest of the Carnival following behind.
Some brave sight we made that day! The peak on the hats ‘ad been a waxed till they seemed to outshine the sun!
The instruments shone like spun silver and the big drum paint shone like et was brand new, an the little kettle drum was a rattlin like a bleddy snake so et was!
At last we was ready and the big drum give the double beat twice, the signal to move off! I thought my heart would burst being part of all that, the shining uniforms and gleaming hinstuments, everybody in step too! Damme twas rare! The shout come from the back "FLORA" and the big drum sounded the signal. Boom Boom an a pause Boom Boom and we wus off! We hit the Stennack in full cry boy, the music was some ansome, the ‘FLORA’ dance wus a beltin out like twas no tomorrer an we was all feelin some proud!
Out tails was up now, no stopping fer anything, down past the school and on to the royal square, the police holdin back the traffic for us. On down to the library and we swung left, the hinside members a markin time like damme Royal marines we was! The sun was a sparkling and gleamin off they instruments, well boy twas nothin’ quite like it, and probably never will be again. See we was all proud of our little town. Mebbe we dedn ave all that bigger towns did, and ‘praps never would but we lived ‘ere boy and we wanted all they visitors watchin’ us in that Hot August sun to know it, so we did.
Anyway, down to the post office we went, and there outside Barclays bank was our Mother, standing up tall and proud and as pretty as a picture! My turn now to mark time, knees up under the chin nearly and still the ‘FLORA’ was a beltin out an the crowd we could tell thought it was ansome
‘cos they was all waving at us.
Behind us the trucks with the mob from the rugby club an all they like that, you knaw the roun’ table an all they things was acreatin Avoc boy, bleddy Avoc I telt thee.
Water pistols and flour bombs, buckets that looked heavy with water but ad coloured paper torn up in them throwed over the crowd stood there a watchin. The people was a hangin out the windus throwin coins into the collectin buckets, an waving an cheerin. Damme I tell thee there wadn another prouder town in the country then on that Carnival day!
Well we made our way down past the ‘Queens’, past Lloyds and then turned left past the ‘Lion’, and now we ‘eard the double beat warnin us to change tunes when he would give the double beat agin. That would come when the band was all into Fore street and safely past the market place.
We was all covered in paper streamers by now, the sweat was apourin from us and still we played on boy! Ansome it was! Fether marked time outside the surgery an we turned into Fore street, and the crowds that was there waitin for we to go by! Well I dedn think twas enuff room to fit the band in let alone the carnival.
Et ded though an we swung up into Fore street, all colour an people crowded together, and the music crashin’ back at us from the buidins’ in Fore street. Now the drum at the back give three booms then three more. We all knawed what that meant!
Damme we had been a blowin like billyo since the coach park, an we needed to ave a rest as we marched like. Suddenly the music stopped, an we could hear the crowd. The screams reaching us as They rowdy buggers behind us wound the crowd up like.
There was hairy chested Mermaids, and balloons filling out ginormous brassieiers an things I dare not talk about here! Other folk was walkin behind the floats and all up to no good. Twas some mischief performed that shiny day, ansome pard, bleddy ansome!
Now we wus close to WoolWorths an the kittle drum was atappin out the beat to march to. Our heads was up and chests filled, our crimson coats was filled to burstin weth proud bandsmen. The master must ave eard what we ded see, the crowd wanted the ‘FLORA’ agin, so the drum banged out the signal and we wus OFF! Our lip was in now boys an we give that ansome tune some stingin.
 |
There was some who knew the tune and we could hear them singing the words to the FLORAL dance. Now tedn nothing in the world more a bandsman likes then to hear his haudience enjoying his music, an we done give them some music that day boy.
The sun was fillin the street with light and shade, the smills was a mix of suntan oil an candy floss, sweaty folk and beer. |
The crowds was linin’ the pavements and we was givin’ of our very best.
Well we marched on down fore street, twas all cobbles then you knaw and some ard to march on but our dander was up now! The master couldn of af stopped us if ee wanted to.
Down past Dicky peters barber shop and on to Farrels the bakers, then we all drew up into the wharf road, looking back along to the lifeboat ‘ouse. We had another turn to do of the town back up to coach park before we was finished, then in the evening we ad the best part. We all ad a rest, and later that evening we all formed up again with the police escort and we played our way down to the bandstand on the front.
Well pard, what can I say. The arbour was a picture no hartist could paint. The tide was rising, and us played over still calm water. The evnin’ sun was all gold and red on the east pier, with folk strollin’ around enjoyin the warm night air. Across the road the amusement arcade was gooin’ full blast but we dedn’ care.
The water was a dark shiny green you caint describe ya knaw? Shiny et was, an the music was mellow now, the crowd was all piled up in front of us all, lestnin’ to us play.
Well we dedn ave no lights then an we had to stop before it got to dark to see the music, but before that ‘appened we all played our favorite piece, ‘EVENTIDE’. I telt thee, no band ever played that beautiful piece quite like we ded that night.
The boys was quite carried away, Charles on the lead Trombone played like a concert player, and Dicky Peters, well his cornet lifted us all ‘eart and soul. The music seemed to flow out of us across the water in the ‘arbour like gold boy, liquid gold.
I ‘spose we played other times and ‘praps some was better, but if we ded I don’t remember et. That day and evnin’ was bleddy magic pard, pure magic fer the carnival.
They don’t seem to do et these days, folk don seem to ave the heart fer et. Praps they will though, hey. CLIES STEVENS 26/07/03
Golowan Festival
