Carnival 2008 - Fairy Tales

Looking back at the 2008 Carnival

I'm sure you will agree that our Carnival just goes from strength to strength. What a community event. Right up until the Day itself I thought we would all get very wet - how wrong I was. We need a little while longer to calculate how much was taken but it looks to be around £11,000 - another remarkable achievement - well done everybody.

All the results will be found elsewhere in Focus and so it is my pleasure to thank all those that attended, all that decorated their houses and all those who gave goods, time and cash to ensure the Carnival's success. Thanks also to the Right Revd Graeme Knowles, Dean of St Paul's Cathedral for opening the event and for judging the floats.

Finally, thanks to my magnificent Committee of Chris and Sheila Banks, Roger Cook, Sonia Dean, Katrina Grant, Gordon Gray, Theo Gray, Bernadette Hillman, Norman and Ann Lee, David Marriage, Heather Martin, Tony Morreale, Mark Saccoccio, Lin Sargeant, Rebecca Shaw, Vince Taylor, Peter Thomas, and Roger Wilkinson.

If you have a favourite local good cause that you would like to be considered for a grant from the proceeds of this year's event, or if you would like to be involved in the running of Carnival 2009, please contact me through the website www.stmarysvillagecarnival.com.

-- Peter Bennett - Chairman

Carnival Competition Winners - 2008

We had some fantastic prizes in our Fairy Tales Carnival and here are details of just some of the lucky winners. You can find much more information and see our huge range of photos of all the fun on our carnival website on www.stmarysvillagecarnival.com

Best Dressed House: An excellent range of brilliant entries and the winner for Eaton Bray was 31 Moor End with a special mention for the 3 shops which joined in. The winner for Edlesborough was 5 Pebblemoor and in 2nd place, 16 Brownlow Ave

Edna's Cake Raffle: Andrea

Worm Charming: Mekyla Peters, Stewkley

Chain Saw Raffle: Mr Woolcott

Clarabelle: Veronica Squires

Procession Winners

Pre School & Lower School: 1st Eaton Bray Lower School, 2nd Eaton Bray Pre-School Playgroup, Edlesborough Under 5's

School age Organisations: 1st - Friends of Edlesborough School, 2nd equal Eaton Bray Brownies & Eaton Bray & Edlesborough Cubs

Family & Business: 1st Janes' Shop, 2nd The Bell Public House, 3rd Hawkes Family

Dog Show

Best in Show: Tarot Stedman, Reserve Best in Show - Silas Watkin

Best Puppy in Show: Missy Woods

Best Novelty in Show: Rafa Blundell

Class Number 1: Missy Woods

Class Number 2: 1st Silas Watkin

Class Number 3: 1st Ruby Macbraye

Class Number 4: 1st Tarot Stedman

Class Number 5 - Junior Handler: 1st Emily Reeder with Bo

Photos

Photos coming back soon

Who Will Benefit?

The Organising Committee of St Mary's Village Carnival, held on 5 July, are pleased to announce that it has distributed some £11,750 among local organisations and good causes.

As usual, the primary beneficiary of the Carnival has been St Mary's Fabric Fund, with a substantial donation made to East Anglian Air Ambulance. In addition, the following local organisations are among those who have received donations from the Carnival funds this year:

• Dagnall Under 5s
• Dagnall School
• Dagnall Village Hall
• Eaton Bray Lions AFC
• Eaton Bray Lower School
• Eaton Bray Methodist Church
• Eaton Bray Mothers Union
• Eaton Bray Parish Council
• Eaton Bray Parish Luncheon Club
• Eaton Bray Salvation Army
• Eaton Bray Tennis Club
• Eaton Bray Village Hall
• Eaton Bray and Edlesborough Brownies
• 1st Eaton Bray and Edlesborough Scouts
• EDaN Project
• Edlesborough Football Club
• Edlesborough Parish Council
• Edlesborough School
• Beds Wildlife Rescue

In addition, donations have been made to eight other organisations - a mix of organisations who provide invaluable support to the Carnival and national charities.

Furthermore, many local organisations had stalls at the Carnival and it is estimated that, between them, they have raised at least as much again, so from Carnival more than £30,000 will have flowed back to support the activities of our villages. My thanks to everyone who helped make this possible.

Carnival Opener - The Right Reverend Graeme Knowles

Graeme was born in Woburn in 1951. His parents, Grace and Stan Knowles, lived in Westfield Road, Dunstable, for the whole of their married life. After school at Regent House and Beecroft County Primary, he went to Dunstable Grammar School from 1963 to 1970.

The Priory Church in Dunstable played a vital part in Graeme's formation. Having joined the church choir aged 8, he was soon capturing the unsuspecting visitor and giving them a full, and sometimes rather lengthy, tour of the building! It was here, too, that successive curates and rectors fostered his vocation to the priesthood. But it was at Edlesborough where Graeme, still a teenager, preached his first sermon and at Eaton Bray School, where Graeme's father, Stan, was head teacher. It was also at church that he met Susan, his wife, then a member of the Priory congregation and a teacher.

After college in London and Canterbury, Graeme was ordained to a curacy in Broadstairs. This was followed by jobs in Leeds and Portsmouth, before he was made Archdeacon of Portsmouth in 1993. In 1999 he was made Dean of Carlisle. 2003 saw him moving to the Isle of Man as Lord Bishop, where he was also, by virtue of his office, a member of the island's parliament, the Tynwald. Since October 2007 he has been Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in London.

Carnival Queen, Princess & Attendants

We are pleased to announce that, this year, High Street Hair of Eaton Bray will style the hair of the Queen, Princess and attendants. We would like to thank them for their support of the 2008 Carnival.

If you are aged between 8 and 13 and are either in the congregation of St Mary's Church or you live in Edlesborough, Eaton Bray, Dagnall or Northall, you might like to be chosen next year.

If so, application forms will be available from Yvonne Ranson.

Carnival Procession

The results were as follows. More pictures are available from the Carnival 2008 Gallery.

Pre-School & Lower School

1. Eaton Bray Lower School
2. Eaton Bray Pre-school Playgroup
3. Edlesborough Under 5s

School Age Organisations

1. Friends of Edlesborough School
2. 2nd Eaton Bray Brownies / 1st Eaton Bray & Edlesborough Cubs

Family & Business

1. Janes' Store, Edlesborough
2. The Bell Public House, Edlesborough
3. Hawkes Family

Best Dressed House

Every year more and more people along the Procession route decorate the outside of their Home so helping us all get in the Carnival mood.

Prizes

Prizes were awarded for one house in Eaton Bray and one in Edlesborough on the route of the procession as follows:

Eaton Bray: 31 Moor End - Peter Pan

Edlesborough: 5 Pebblemoor - Snow White

More pictures are available from the Carnival 2008 Gallery

Grand Draw

Another wonderful Carnival Day - and despite all our fears engendered by the weather forecast, bright, sunny and extremely windy, so much so that our gazebo was blown down, and the gazebo for the Plant Stall next to us as well!! Hey-ho, that's Carnival! Dilemma, do we stay on our drafty corner where we have been almost blown away for so many years, or do we move - but then NONE OF YOU WILL BE ABLE TO FIND US!! No, we will brave the elements just to meet again all the wonderful people who supported us this year at the Fete. However, the Grand Draw would not be so successful without the support of so many generous sponsors, and the support of all those many people who sell tickets in advance. My sincere thanks to them, and my usual loyal team, Norman, Deirdrea and Gaynor.

-- Ann Lee

If you would like to donate a prize to next year's carnival, please contact the Carnival Committee.