Very rarely does a day go by without a carnival club member or a committee member doing something for carnival.
Being involved with Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival really is a 365 day a year commitment, and every carnivalite will tell you exactly the same thing.
We are all volunteers, and many of us are in full time employment, studying towards a qualification, or are retired. It can be difficult at times to cram everything in, especially with the increasingly fast paced and busy lives we all live nowadays.
Nearly two months have passed since the spectacular carnival graced the town’s streets, and during this advent period many would naturally presume there is very little to do for carnival this time of year.
However, things don’t stop when the carnival season finishes. There are still meetings to go to (I for one have attended seven carnival meetings in the past eight weeks), carnival souvenirs to be sold, carnival carts to be dismantled, fundraising events to be organised, feedback to be reviewed from this year’s event, 2024 carnival plans to be made, to name just a few. There really is always something to do, and this never-ending cycle of carnival events and activities becomes addictive and breeds a steely determination and resolve to ensure our carnival continues to survive for future generations to enjoy.
Nearly 400 people completed our 2023 Bridgwater Carnival experience survey, and we would like to thank those who did so for their constructive feedback. Reassuringly, 91% of those who completed the survey were either ‘satisfied’ or ‘very satisfied’ with this year’s event, and 94% were either ‘likely’ or ‘very likely’ to attend in person or watch online next year’s carnival.
However, there is always room to make things even better, and some of the areas which the survey respondents have suggested need further attention at our 2024 Bridgwater Carnival include: gaps and the time the procession takes, live stream music audio levels, keeping spectators informed of delays and the reasoning, more programme sellers, and the potential of having a dedicated parking area for campervans. We will look at these and more in the New Year.
In the meantime, a massive thank you to every single person who has supported Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival and the clubs over the past 12 months. We really do appreciate your continued help and support.
Have a safe and Happy New Year, and see you in 2024 when we will do it all again.
Until the next time.
Dave Stokes
Publicity Director
Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival
