If you have any pix or stories for this page (especially the float for 1992), please e-mail me

Thanks.

 

Don't forget to vote! 

 

FLOAT ON ...

No, not the song by The Floaters, but a look back at 16 years of carnival floats. This page is dedicated to our talented master float builders over the years - Mick Ryan, Gary Simpson, Kevin Hopper, Mark Ryan, Tam Lindsey, Andy Taylor, and Maurice Jeffrey. They managed to come up with some stunning, prize-winning floats.

1987
'In an English Country Garden' was our first float, built by Mick and decorated by the Court which we took all over Kent, London and Essex during the summer, winning a float prize at Torchlight in Essex. For the winter carnivals we transformed it into 'Santa's Grotto' for the winter carnivals.

1988
'The London to Brighton Car Rally' was the theme for this year. If the car looked realistic, it's because a great deal of it was from an actual motor car! Built by Gary and Kevin, and once again decorated by the girls, it took us all over the southeast during the summer months, taking third place at Whitstable and 2nd place at Torchlight. For the winter carnivals, however we had 'Santa's Grotto on Christmas Eve', which was built by Mark and decorated by Karol. It won us the float prize at Allington.

1989
'Somewhere Over the Rainbow' was built by Mick, and Karol not only painted the rainbow design but sewed over 100 flowers to the white carpet. Despite all this effort the float only picked up one third prize at Herne Bay, and the float and tableau trophy at Torchlight. At the winter carnivals it was back to 'Santa's Grotto on Christmas Eve'.

1990
'The English Roses' was the theme for this year, built by Mick and Tam, and decorated by the girls. During the summer the rose arbour was covered in flowers. In the winter the girls covered it with tinsel, and turned it into 'Santa's Grotto' once again. It gained a Highly Commended certificate at Allington.

1991
'England's Green and Pleasant Land' was the theme for this year. It was built by Tam, and Karol painted every one of the 50 red, white and blue flowers that decorated the float.

1992

1993
'A Japanese Summerhouse' was the theme for this year. Built once again by Tam and Mick ...

1994
... which we kept for the following year - only this time painted blue. And with the addition of a few Christmas decorations it was turned into 'Santa's Grotto' once again, and picked up the float prize at the Dover Christmas Carnival.

1995
'Butterfly Garden' was built by Andy Taylor and it gained first place at Detling and third prize at Whitstable. It was also the first float we took over to France for La Chappelle's carnival parade.

1996
'The Artist's Palette' was once again built by Andy.

1997
'Flying Through Space Over Cheriton' was Andy's third design for us, and to go with it, the girls wore star-spangled dresses. And when we swapped the dangly stars decorating it during the summer months for Christmas decorations during the winter months, it became 'Santa's Sleigh Flying Through the Air', and it won us first place at the Dover Christmas carnival.

1998
'Gingerbread House' was the first float to be built by Maurice, and it gained a Highly Commended at Swanley and Ash, and the tableau trophy at Wingham. And with a few alterations it became 'Santa's Workshop'.
However, 1998 was also the first year that our Juniors got their own float, courtsey of the Kent Carnival Court.  'The Garden of England' helped the Juniors to win the junior float trophy at Birchington.

1999
'Willow Pattern' was Maurice's second float for us, which won the tableau trophy at Ramsgate and Deal, the float prize at Orpington, second place at Hornsey, and Highly Commendeds at Westgate and Swanley. For the first few carnivals, thanks once again to the KCC, the Juniors had a float to ride on 'The Garden of England' winning us a second place at Birchington; but eventually, thanks to Maurice, the Junior Court rode to glory on their very own float - the newly repainted Gingerbread House, now the Doll's House.

2000
'Dawn of the New Millennium' was Maurice's third float for us, which won the float prize at Ashingdon, was second at Orpington, was third at Sandwich and Walthamstow, and Highly Commended at Bexhill. Meanwhile the Junior Court's very own float 'Sandgate Castle' (which also doubled-up as a Christmas float) and also built by Maurice, won them third place at Teynham and Westgate, second place at Sturry, and first place at Broadstairs and Bromley. And when it was decorated with tinsel it was the first winner of the Deal Christmas float trophy.

2001
'Grecian Garden' was Maurice's fourth effort for us, which won the float prize at Orpington, Sandwich, and Margate, was second in the tableau contest at Folkestone, and was third in the Deal tableau competition.
The Juniors continued to ride to success on their 'Sandgate Castle' float (repainted white), which got them first place at Broadstairs and Folkestone, and second place at Sturry and Westgate.

2002
It was back to the 'Willow Pattern' float in this year, which gained us second places at Lydd, Edmonton and Broadstairs,a third prize at Folkestone, and a Highly Commended at Tonbridge.

2003
'Happy Birthday Sweet Sixteen' was our 16th and final float, built by Maurice out of recycled materials, and decorated by Karol in the same way (for example, the birthday presents were old cardboard boxes and the candles were old industrial toilet rolls!). This ethos made the float hugely successful, winning first prize at Folkestone, Lydd, Hastings and Westgate, a second place at Birchington, and a Highly Commended at Tonbridge. With a few alterations it became 'Season's Greetings from Cheriton' and won a second place at the Deal Christmas carnival.

Had Cheriton continued, the theme for 2004 was to have been 'Discover Cheriton', with Cheriton's own White Horse chalk carving as the backdrop.

Back to Top