Southend Collecting Day, 23rd May, 2012

Friday 8th June, 2012

Local people turned out to see us at our Collecting day in the Library despite it being the first gloriously sunny day of the year! We heard some wonderful stories about the carnival. Among them, we found the driver of the Backwards Carnival Court Float! He told us how he had to reverse the flat bed lorry the entire procession and his only view was through a small hole cut out behind the Carnival Courts Chairs and his mirrors. He also told us that the steering wheel and pedals were extended so that he could face the direction he was travelling and that he used the row of sailors walking each side of the float to line himself up. If he could see all of their caps he knew he was heading in the right direction.