THOUSANDS flocked to Spencers Wood Recreation Ground on Saturday as the village’s premier community event made a triumphant comeback.
Visitors of all ages enjoyed the rides, rhythms and relishes offered by the Spencers Wood Carnival, which had taken a three-year hiatus due to the Covid-19 pandemic and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.
Despite a 75% chance of rain on Saturday, the event took place without a hitch, exceeding organiser Debbie Johnson-Wait’s expectations.
She said: “It was absolutely fantastic. The attendance was the best we’ve ever seen, the field was so full you couldn’t see through the crowd. And we were so blessed with the weather. It couldn’t have gone any better.
“The feedback from visitors and stallholders has been brilliant.
“As a village, we hadn’t been together for a long time and so the nicest thing someone said to me was that it felt just like a community reunion. That’s what it’s all about, because your neighbour really does become like your family. This was a big celebration of community.”
There were some doubts that the event would happen this year after last September’s cancellation as one of the two co-organisers’ circumstances meant they had to leave the committee. But Debbie’s daughter Rosie and friend Katie stepped up and were able to help make the event a raging success.
The team have already begun discussing plans for next year, with September 21, pencilled in for 2024.
Extensive housing developments in Spencers Wood and its surrounding areas over the past few years meant that many residents would have attended the carnival, which was launched in 2007, for the first time.
One visitor applauded the event’s diverse food offer, with Ethiopian, Indian and Ghanaian cuisine all being served alongside crepes, donuts and other traditional snacks. Organisers were pleased that the carnival reflected the community that it serves.
“I just want to share a heatfelt thank you to not only Rosie and Katie, but everyone who worked behind the scenes to make the event happen,” Debbie said.
“From the announcers, the team who sit for hours writing raffle tickets, to those who helped pick up litter the next morning, every little bit helps.
“There were students from Oakbank who helped with the marshalling. Two in particular came back to see the cars off the field, the feedback about them was phenomenal. They were a credit to themselves, their parents and their school.”
