A day of carnivals across the Forest of Dean this Saturday. I started off at Aylburton Carnival and arrived in time to watch the excellent procession.
This year they had a variety of entries, from children dressed as superheroes to adults dressed as Eurovision winners. The procession was led by the fantastic Harmony Twirlstars who did a brilliant job.
Unfortunately, the weather wasn’t on our side today and rain forced many of the carnival goers to seek shelter under the gazebos. This was good news though for those who were selling sweets and cakes to a captive audience seeking shelter.
However, rain didn’t dampen spirits and it was lovely to see so many families out enjoying the day. One of the organisations that I spoke to was FRED Plus. This brilliant group matches adults who want to learn to read and write with volunteers trained to coach them and provides 1 to 1 private support. More information on FRED Plus can be found by calling 07746 371353 or visiting www.forestreadeasydeal.org.uk
After spending time talking to the organisations and charities running stalls at Aylburton, I travelled up to Ruardean Carnival. The rain had also impacted them, but the organisers were pushing on regardless.
Again, at Ruardean, I spoke with many of the organisations and charities that had set up stalls. One such group was the Ruardean Woodside Lunch Club.
I had the privilege of attending a very special birthday lunch at the club for a member who was turning 100 and have seen the great work they do for the over 60s first hand. The group meet normally at 12:15pm on every first Wednesday of the month at Ruardean Woodside Memorial Hall. For more information, please call Claire on 01594 543163.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank the organisers of both Aylburton and Ruardean Carnivals for all the hard work they have put in. It takes many months of planning to get everything sorted for the day of the carnivals and without your dedication, we would not have been able to enjoy such a great day.