THESE pictures were taken 20 years ago at what was one of the longest-running carnivals in the country. Little did each of the subjects know the much-loved event was in its dying years.
The Titchfield Bonfire Boys (TBBS) carnival, which saw its last parade in 2016, always took place in late October or early November.
Though nobody is quite sure when it began, evidence suggests that Titchfield Carnival had been an event since around 1880. Its exact origin remains a bit of a mystery.
There were doubts about its future even when these images were snapped on October 27, 2003. But fears of poor attendance were happily quelled as carnival chairman Julian Gibbs from the Bonfire Boys reported healthy visitor numbers.
People packed the streets to see scores of richly-decorated floats roll past led by a fire engine from Fareham fire station complete with the Red Watch crew.
Following behind were bands, steam engines, police cars and a host of other wacky vehicles.
Coins sailed through the air as people threw money to their favourite floats, most of which were collecting for local charities.
There were furry floats with dancing girls in miniskirts, a teddy bears’ picnic, Alice in Wonderland and The Italian Job complete with a suspended Mini crashing into a wall.
One of the more risqué and crowd-pleasing floats was a Calendar Girls tableau modelled on the famous naked WI calendar but only going as far as to wear plastic breasts outside their respectable clothes.
Events were broadcast live throughout the world via the Internet on a Webcam and organisers reported that hundreds of people all over the planet were logging on to watch.
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