IT is no secret that BBC Radio 2’s breakfast show presenter, Zoe Ball, is a big fan of Bridgwater Carnival.
She regularly mentions the carnival and often tells her seven million listeners about her fond memories of when, as a child, her Dad, TV personality Johnny Ball, would take her to the carnival whenever he was working in the Bridgwater area at carnival time.
After hearing this on air again recently, it got me thinking about some of the other personalities and celebrities who have great memories of our carnival.
The legendary Tommy Banner, accordionist and vocalist with chart-topping band, The Wurzels, is another massive Bridgwater Carnival supporter.
Tommy appeared in our carnival in 2004, 2006, and 2019, urging people to donate to the street collection, and he always received a fantastic reception and response from the waiting crowds.
Since first coming to the West Country in 1967 to join The Wurzels, we can probably count on one hand the number of times Tommy has missed the carnival.
He reminds the band’s manager at the start of every year not to take any bookings for carnival night.
Bridgwater is the only place he wants to be on that night, and every year we see him on the streets cheering the clubs and walking entries on.
Not many people know this, but many years ago Tommy was involved with the Bridgwater-based Centurion Carnival Club.
He was friendly with some of the club members at the time.
Tommy can also regularly be seen every year at Bridgwater Town Hall watching the Carnival Concerts.
Other celebrities to have fallen in love with Bridgwater carnival include the much-missed frontman of The Clash, Joe Strummer.
The story goes that after watching the carnival one year, Joe enjoyed it so very much, he decided to buy a house in the local area. He remained living here until his untimely passing in 2002 at the age of 50.
TV broadcaster and former trainee reporter for the Bridgwater Mercury, Anne Diamond, and singer and presenter, Michael Ball, are two other well-known faces who are familiar with our carnival.
Anne reported on the carnival in the 1980s while working for the paper and she mentions this in her autobiography, whereas Michael’s parents lived in Bridgwater and in past interviews has said he always loved watching the carnival with his family.
Other well-known faces and famous people have most probably watched Bridgwater over the years.
And every year social media continues to be awash with speculation and rumour of who was apparently spotted in the crowd.
We look forward to seeing whom we can spot in the streets at this year’s carnival on Saturday, November 4.
Speaking of which, since our grandstands tickets first went on sale on February 1, we have sold over 500 seats.
Our online orders have come from far and wide, including from people living in Ashford in Kent, Hinckley in Leicestershire, the Isle of Wight, London, Preston, Hemel Hempstead, Truro, Cwmbran, and Southampton, to name just a few.
Costing £28 each, the grandstand tickets can be purchased online from Bridgwater Carnival’s official website shop (www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk), or from the Carnival Centre during opening hours.
Until the next time,
Dave Stokes
Publicity Director Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival
www.bridgwatercarnival.org.uk
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