The final designs have been revealed this week for Bridgwater Carnival’s entry for the Platinum Jubilee Pageant which will form part of the celebrations marking the 70th anniversary of The Queen’s accession to the throne next year.
The special event will be staged in London on 5th June 2022, as we reported here, and work to build the £160,000 cart is set to get underway during the next few days.
Malcolm Cattle, team lead and former Bridgwater Carnival President, told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “It is quite mind-blowing for us to be invited to take part in the pageant – it’s such a huge honour.”
“The cart will be 100ft long and 16ft high, packing down to 14ft high for travelling. The design includes beefeaters, flags of the Commonwealth, shields, a crown and Royal colours.”
He added that he hopes the cart will also be able to take part in the Highbridge and Burnham-On-Sea Carnival when it returns for a full parade in 2022. “No decisions have been made yet on the cart taking part in the local processions but there’s a strong chance it will be,” he says.
Malcolm adds that dozens of carnival builders from across the county are taking part in the huge project to build the cart. “People who are normally friendly rivals are now working together on this special project,” he says after 70 people attended a recent meeting offering to help.
He says that building work is set to begin shortly in the Marketeers shed in Bridgwater, but that there is some concern about availability of some materials due to shortages at builders merchants amid the nationwide lorry driver issues.
“Our build will hopefully begin next week – it’s a massive task. We need to finish the build by the end of this year so the team can then start work on their own club carts in readiness for the 2022 carnival processions. The pressure is on!”
Bridgwater Carnival President Mike Crocker adds: “It’s an honour beyond our wildest dreams. It serves to demonstrate the high esteem in which our event is held.”
“It is also a testimony of the tremendous skills and remarkable ingenuity of hundreds of dedicated people who produce the spectacular entries we witness in our parade, year in, year out.”
