2024 BRIDGWATER GUY FAWKES CARNIVAL – ‘IN NUMBERS’
1) 2024 is the 419th anniversary of The Gunpower Plot, and the origins of Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival can be traced back to when Guy Fawkes and his fellow conspirators failed in their attempt to blow up the Houses of Parliament in 1605.
2) The Ker Cup is Bridgwater Carnival’s most prestigious trophy and is awarded annually to the best gang or group of masqueraders in the procession. 2024 sees exactly 100 years since it was first presented by the carnival committee chairman at the time, Mr H M B Ker, and since then 26 different clubs have had their hands on the silver challenge cup.
3) Distance wise, the procession route is just over 1.7 miles long, and the carnival will take more than 2 hours to pass any one viewing point.
4) Over 2,000 people will be involved with the 99 entries taking part in this year’s carnival, with 1,000 of these performing in the procession.
5) Over 500,000 individual lights (lamps and LEDs) will illuminate the skyline as the carts meander around the streets of Bridgwater on Saturday 2 November.
6) Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival has become more environmentally friendly and sustainable in recent times, and just over 2.6 Megawatts of electricity will power the 48 carnival carts in this year’s carnival procession. This compares to 2016, when over 12 megawatts of electricity powered the 45 carnival carts taking part.
7) 500 traffic (red and white) cones, 140 clearway signs, 250 road traffic (orange) barriers, 300 sandbags, 35 road closure signs, and 150 other signs, will be set out by the carnival committee’s road traffic team of 12 people in readiness for the 2024 carnival. The first was laid out on Monday 21 October, and the last will be collected late on Sunday 3 November. The event’s Traffic Management Plan is 12 pages long, contains 25 maps and drawings, and consists of 3,175 words.
8) Since 2000 Bridgwater Carnival related activities have raised over £553,960 for the official Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival charity and other local supported charities. In the past two years, Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival has donated over £65,000 to local charities and good causes.
9) At this year’s event, over 280 collectors will be out on the streets on carnival night with over 450 collection buckets and 15 tap and donate machines, supporting the 6 collection carts in the procession, and collecting money for the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival charity and 29 other charities and community groups. 50 text giving signs have also been placed around the procession route.
10) 64 coaches and minibuses have pre-booked to attend Bridgwater Carnival 2024. These are coming from all over the country, including Cornwall, Wales, Wolverhampton, Poole, Forest of Dean, Warwickshire, Salisbury, Swindon and Cheshire, to name just a few.
11) Tiffany Crumrine and her 76 year old father, Bob Crumrine, are flying 4,635 miles from Colorado, USA, especially to watch this year’s Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival.
12) All 2,126 seats in the 13 grandstands (including the hospitality grandstand) which line the procession route have been sold.
13) 37 cups and trophies will be awarded on carnival night by our 66 judges.
14) 34 trade stands will line the procession route on carnival night.
15) 205 people are expected to take part in this year’s squibbing display once the carnival procession has finished. 2024 marks 308 years since the first recorded evidence of squibbing in Bridgwater back in 1716.
16) 29 companies and organisations are official sponsors of Bridgwater Carnival 2024. JD Wetherspoon (The Carnival Inn) deserve a special mention, as this year marks 20 consecutive years (excluding the Covid years) of the town centre pub sponsoring the carnival.
17) 29,901 people follow the official Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Facebook page, and 5,800 people follow Bridgwater Carnival’s official Twitter account. 1,816 people follow Bridgwater Carnival’s official Instagram account, and 1,213 people follow Bridgwater Carnival’s recently launched TikTok account.
18) 75 people are members of Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Committee.
19) Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival has a ‘Friend’s Scheme’ where carnival supporters can sign up, make a donation, and do their bit to secure the long term future of the event. 66 friends signed up to the membership scheme in 2024. For more information on the scheme, visit www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk.
20) In the carnival procession, 90 year old, Irene Hill, is performing on Nunsford Nutters Carnival Club’s 2024 comic entry Nee Naw.
21) 25 large carnival masks, designed and decorated by local school children have been placed on display in and around Bridgwater town centre.
22) Since January 2024, Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival’s education outreach programme has engaged with over 1,000 local students from 18 schools and 3 nurseries.
23) Two stalwarts of Bridgwater based, Centurion Carnival Club, have reached a significant milestone this year, with both Wendy Want and Pete Watts celebrating 50 years of continuous service to the club.
24) Congratulations to Chris Burge who is also celebrating 50 years with Westonzoyland Carnival Club.
