Thanks to the Blackpool Museum Project*, here's a bit of background: In 1923 Blackpool began what it thought would be a new tradition, holding an annual Grand Carnival in June. It was the town's way of bringing back some of the progressive and pioneering events it had held before WW1, like the artificial sunshine show and the air show. It was also a way of filling a lull in the resort's calendar between the busy Easter and summer peaks. The 1923 carnival was a great success. It ran from 9th to 16th June and attracted two million visitors, many brought in on a fleet of extra trains and coaches.. Never had so many people traveled to Blackpool specifically for an event.
Blackpool's inaugural carnival procession
As well as processions and pageants along the promenade (featuring giants wearing grotesque papier-mache heads made in the municipal tram-sheds by French craftsmen specially imported from Nice carnival), Blackpool's Grand Carnival also featured dog shows, motor races, 'battles of flowers', brass bands and many other diversions. Archive footage of that first carnival has survived. It's on YouTube and you can view it via this link: King Carnival
putting the car in carnival
The 1923 event was such a great success that the organisers immediately made plans for an even bigger and better one the following summer. The 1924 carnival ran from June 11th to 24th and once again in excess of two million people flocked to the town to enjoy the events. Unfortunately, this time there were several days with no scheduled activities, so many of the visitors spent the time drinking to excess. Drunkenness and violence were rife and marred the occasion to the extent that there was no appetite on behalf of the Corporation to host another such event. Instead the town concentrated from 1925 on holding a Festival of Lights which in turn became the world famous Blackpool Illuminations. Although Blackpool continued to put on occasional Gala Days with processions, marching bands and the like, Blackpool Carnival proper was only resurrected in 2017.The 'centenary' Blackpool Carnival will run from July 1st to 9th 2023 and promises "a nine day extravaganza of glorious colour, music, fun and laughter" all along the promenade from north to south pier and across several stages. There will be parades, performances, food stalls. There may even be poets! Talking of poems, this week's latest from the imaginarium has only a tenuous connection to any of the foregoing.
If carnival is all ministerial privilege, excess, misrule and vulgarity on the one pudgy hand and a 'farewell to meat' (the literal meaning of carnival) for the working poor on the other skinny hand, this strange little poem might just resonate in an era where cold beans on bread and butter serve us as survival rations.
The GaudyAn evermore ravenous darkness circlesthis poor palpitating pool of light; a cold-eyed, coal-winged world vulturesets sights on pecking out the heartonce hope gives up on its pitiable future.Except that the gaudy shows fight.
Its neon battledress hardly haute-coutureand its baubles implausibly slight,it vows never to be extinguished as easilyas its tormentor anticipates. In partemboldened by tracts of previous sutures,nerved by its sense of what's right,
it withstands such relentless intimidationas causes dark to query its might.And even as intimations of black eternity seek to extinguish its brave spirit, sheer willpower not to relinquish raptureallows the gaudy to remain bright.*Showtown, the new 'museum of fun and entertainment' in Blackpool is scheduled to open in 2023.Thanks for reading, S ;-) Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare to Facebook
