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The annual summer carnival was a popular and well-supported event in the town's calendar between the wars. Carnivals were first held in Hungerford in 1932, in order to collect
money for an ambulance service.
As part of the festivities, water sports were held around the canal, including children's swimming races and the popular greasy pole (and pillow fights) across the canal
(remembered in the Eatwell and Cox audio).
Mrs June Prictor kindly contacted the Virtual Museum (in Sep 2011) with a paper recalling the excitement of the first carnival in 1932, including extracts from the NWN:
Searching through some old papers recently, I came across this report which appeared
in the NWN when Hungerford had a Carnival in 1932 to support Hungerford Nursing Association and Hungerford Division, St. John's Ambulance to provide the town with a motor ambulance, and thought
it worth sharing with others who may be interested, or bring back memories to anyone who remembers this Hungerford. Such a lovely descriptive piece of reporting written with such enthusiasm, at least I
think!!
"Hungerford's great Carnival Day was a wonderful success. Two factors largely contributed towards the achievement. One was the whole-hearted spontaneous and united
manner in which the inhabitants responded to the appeal for service, and gave themselves up to jollity and revelry; the other was the weather, which could not have been more favourable. September has
sprung a surprise with a miniature heat-wave. A misty morning on Saturday gave promise of a hot afternoon. It was gloriously fine, if anything a little too warm, but really ideal for
the swimming sports in particular.
So completely did the townspeople captive the carnival spirit and surrender to its joyous influence, that at every turn one met, behaving with surprising
frivolity, fearsomely and grotesquely disguised citizens, who normally go about their day's work with dignified decorum. Quiet, reserved folk parade the streets, wearing fancy dress,
jocularly jostling their fellow townspeople and the strangers in their midst. At night the town was besieged, and the High Street, sometimes regarded by the casual visitor as sleepy and sober, became
flooded with light and colour, pack with a dense and lively crowd, boisterous without overstepping the bounds of propriety, but full of fun, friendliness and wholeheartedly merry.
Many who went to
look on, became captivated by the happy laughter of the slowly-moving throng, and finding themselves caught in the exuberant whirl of youthful humanity, ere they paused to think, were riding on the
merry-go-round, whose gaudy, glittering lights flashed to the screaming notes of the music, or engaged in trying their luck at the numerous side-shows. The fun of the fair attracted many, but
everybody was in generous mood, and though collecting boxes were thrust under one's nose at almost every turn, people dipped in to their pockets for silver and coppers with unabated
willingness. This carnival awakened the Hungerford into new life and possibly there will be another next summer.
Residents did their part well by enthusiastically co-operating in the
decorating of private houses, shops and other business premises. It was noticeable that the occupiers of the small type of property, in particular, were most liberal with displays of bunting
and fairy lamps. Flags were universally displayed, and when the multi-coloured fairy lamps outlining the windows were lit up at night, a striking and charming effect was produced. Lines of
streamers were displayed at the entrances to the town. The canal bridge had chains of lanterns, which were electrically illuminated at night, the Fire Station was a pretty picture with its fairy
lights, and the Fire Brigade had strings of electrically lit coloured lamps on their engine. The Poor Law Institution played its part, while the War Memorial in Bridge Street, standing as ft does on an
apex of land with water running each side, received special attention, presenting a fine spectacle. Hundreds of fair lamps were suspended here, and their reflection in the water caused many
people to pause and admire the scene."
Great detail is then given to the various events that took place - on the Friday evening people interested in the testing of the illumination scheme
thronged the streets and were entertained by a silver band, a jazz band and a barrel organ; carnival day itself included a baby show, aquatic sports (which took place at Canal Wharf), grass track racing
on the Recreation Ground, a comic football match, motor cycle sports programme. After the procession had dispersed a large crowd collected in the High Street just below the railway bridge to watch
an exhibition of Indian club swinging, following by a torchlight display, all to the accompaniment of local bands - "a most spectacular show".
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