Southport - the Classic Resort on England's North West Coast
2009
District
105BN
IT Award
●
Southport Charity Carnival
30th June 2007
Just when you want a bit of global warming to put the tropical zest into a great event, what happens? The day descends upon you with all the excitement of wet blotting paper. And on this particular day, blotting paper would have been in particularly short supply...
It didn't always look like that, however. The Tent Team arrived at the park on Friday evening to find glorious blue skies and sunshine.
An hour's work in pleasant conditions saw the frame of the Mobile Events Facility (sounds much grander than 'tent') ready for action on the Saturday morning. Everything was left ready, including the high hopes and optimism, at 7pm when the park closed.
Overnight, the water monster decided to go on the rampage, and by Saturday morning things were not looking good. The early morning Lions managed to get everything set up just before the deluge, and stood, expectantly, looking for customers...
Meanwhile, back on Lord Street, the Intrepid Bucketeers were out looking for anyone who might be standing there, in the middle of a downpour, looking for somewhere to dispose of surplus cash. Does it sound as though there were lots and lots of potential donors? Right first time. The parade accompanied by the Bucketeers, wound its way into the park, and our Street Team headed directly for the Mobile Events Facility where they were sustained by Danish pastries! Didn't stop them looking very soggy though!
Our spectacular Lion had been through the washer only a few days before, now it looked as though it had just been through the wringer. The ordinary Lions seemed to be just as wet on the inside of their waterproofs as on the outside, and it did not take much to persuade them to head for home, warm and dry, rather than remaining to frolic in the puddles.
What a shame! All that work by so many people, the Organisers, the Paraders, the Stallholders, more or less washed out. With true Brit grit, we stuck it out until half past three, by which time the towel was too wet to be worth throwing in anywhere.
Where to go from here