It is Carnival time here on Anguilla.
There will be lots of fun and frolics for all ages with the culminations of various contests including the crowning of the Calypso Monarch and the highly prestigious, Miss Anguilla. At the end of the week there will be the fabulous Parade of Troupes and I will be there with my camera to bring readers a selection of shots to showcase the fun people have during Carnival and to highlight the amount of work undertaken to make it ‘all right on the night.’
The island is buzzing with high occupancy rates in the hotels and guesthouses as tourists and the Anguillian diaspora pour in to Anguilla. Extra ferries have been laid on to bring people over from St Martin, our neighbouring island five miles away with a big international airport.
The Opening Ceremony on 2 August was graced by the Minister of Finance, the Acting Chief Minister, Victor Banks and there were speeches by several members of the Government.
On Saturday 4 August there was the Children’s Parade. It was a shame that the public turnout was so low for this event. Looking at the photographs on the Anguilla News website http://www.anguillanews.com/Anguillacarnival/Kiddesparade/07/index.htm ,
it is obvious that a huge amount of work has gone into the costumes and the children had much fun parading through The Valley.
August Monday yesterday dawned bright and fair but soon became grey, overcast and wet. Nevertheless the August Monday Boat Race went ahead as scheduled from a packed Sandy Ground beach. ‘Miss Anguilla’ eventually triumphed over ‘UFO’ in a closely fought ending. The Beach Party celebration afterwards went on into the night.
The Festival this year is proving to be a lot of fun. There is much more to come but the next events will be the subject of further posts!
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