Carnival fever hits Manchester park to celebrate spirit of St Kitts
From Manchester Evening News
The year’s Caribbean Carnival celebrated the island roots of one of the founders of the community event.
An estimated 25,000 attended the annual celebration, held at Platt Fields park.
It has made the temporary move while its usual home at Alexandra Park undergoes a refurbishment.
The carnival also coincides with Eid celebrations planned in nearby Rusholme meaning organisers were prepared for a bumper crowd
It may not quite have been Caribbean weather, but the forecast is good with the rain expected to stay away and temperatures tipped to reach nearly 20 degrees.
The event will also have special significance for former residents of St Kitts and Nevis.
This year marks 30 years since the islands gained independence from the UK.
They were also the birthplace of the late Billy Hanley, who was one of the founding fathers of the Carnival in Moss Side back in 1970.
To mark this, the theme of the festival is soca music and dance. There will also be a variety of steel pan, calypso and reggae bands performing whilst traditional Caribbean food will be served up.
Members of Billy’s family will also be there to take part in the celebrations.
Wallace Patrick, 59, from Moss Side, is one of the members of the carnival’s executive committee.
Wallace, who hails from Barbados said: “There is a Saint Kitts and Nevis association in Manchester and they wanted to celebrate their independence day.
“It is a huge national event for them and they wanted to make it a big part of the carnival.
“It is a big event that takes a lot of planning so we’re just glad when it finally comes around.
“The Caribbean population in Manchester is growing and so is the festival, but we get people from all backgrounds coming along and it’s just a fantastic day.”
PHOTOS: Paul Heyes
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