Monday 26 August 2024.

Monday 26 August 2024....1.30pm to 9pm... The world famous NOTTING HILL CARNIVAL. Being a Shepherd's Bush native meant i have been to most of the Notting Hill Carnivals since the 1970s. Gone though are the days , when I would do three days at Reading Festival on the Fri, Sat, Sun and then Notting Hill Cardival on the Monday . Around a million people each day expected. Thankfully , it was a nice sunny day. Vendors everywhere selling the usual stuff. Always a fun sight to see cans of lager being sold out of shopping trolleys , and private home owners using their toilets for some income . Some were £3 and some were £5 ( cash or card). Sound systems and loud music everywhere. The colourful floats all looked amazing . Walked past Solution sound system , then Gaz' Rockin' Blues , popped in to see friends in The Tabernacle . Saw a couple of acts at The Powis Square stage. The crowds were crazy and loud as usual. Thankfully avoided any crowd bottlenecks. then 2.30pm to 7pm STRAWBERRIES & CREEM host the main stage. S&C’s reputation as a tastemaker in their scene was built by booking the biggest names in Rap, Hip-Hop, R&B and Afrobeats: Burna Boy, Little Simz, Skepta, Giggs, Central Cee, Mabel, J Hus, Kano, Ludacris, Ms Dynamite and many more. The next S&C show take place in London – celebrating their tenth birthday by bringing the party to Drumshed's , North London on Friday 29 Nov 2024. All three rooms will be open for the 15,000 capacity . Several acts and djs performed short sets here today. The only one i knew was MABEL at 5pm for 20 mins. A good set featuring her hits ' Finders Keepers', ' Don't Call Me Up' and 'Mad Love ' . Venue is Emslie Horniman's Pleasance Park It is located on Bosworth Road in Kensal Green on the southern side of the Grand Union Canal. Around 2000 folks in the park , and we are in the STRAWBERRIES & CREEM hospitality area. Around 200 guests here, with a mainly younger crowd. There are bar stools and even deckchairs here . Reserved seating on each side of the stage . Lots of complimentary drinks and food all day. Six different cocktails to choose from and a shout out to the three food vendors here giving out plenty of delicious carnival food. DAWNS KITCHEN BIG MEAT BBQ SPANISH TOWN DUTCH The music everywhere has to stop at 7pm so we continued the party in the Harrow Road which was totally buzzing. An excellent day. See my Facebook page for a few photos. --------------------------------------- --------------------------------------- Saturday 24 August 2024....1pm to 12pm.... The Barn in Buntingford, Hertfordshire. A fantastic day out in the countryside to see my youngest son Steve marry his partner Ryan. Around 100 guests here . The wedding went great , and was quite emotional. The weather was a bit rainy, so the afternoon photos and drinks were inside, then we had a top notch three course meal . The evening party had a fantastic covers band called BEAT CLUB who performed two sets of 60 mins and got everyone on the dancefloor. My son and Ryan looked at over a dozen bands online, before making the great choice of picking them. The band features joint male and female lead vocals, sax and keyboards, and performs five decades worth of floor-fillers from Chuck Berry to Rihanna – all delivered with unstoppable energy and enthusiasm! They'll even learn one special request for you, whether it's your first dance or simply your favourite song. Marc and Steve chose a Justin Timberlake track. The whole day was totally excellent. See my Facebook page for a nice video and photos. ---------------------------- ---------------------------- Sunday 25 August 2024....1.30pm to 5pm... The afternoon was another wedding related event, as it was over to High Barnet, North London , to the house of Ryan's parents, for a buffet and drinks. Around 20 folks here... Really nice.

Posted 25th August 2024