Rodney and Carol Corbett, Betty Coates-Evans and Andrew Pitman
Andrew Pitman
Island Carnival Memories.
Four friends born and bred and still living a stone’s throw from each other in Yarmouth gathered together to reminisce about memories of Yarmouth Carnival from the 1940s to the present day.
The friends talk about three generations of memories around Carnival – from their parent’s involvement, to entering the Carnival themselves and then supporting their own children to enter.
Andrew's Dad Fred as Jonny Onion Man with three other children - 1929.
Photo belonging to Andrew Pitman.
Betty with Yarmouth Guides aged twelve to thirteen, Betty in the centre.
Photo belonging to Betty Coates-Evans.
Carol on left as 'She sells sea shells on the seashore' aged ten.
Photo belonging to Carol Corbett.
Tales of Carnival fun and excitement abound – from the Carnival fun fair to dancing in the square; from the marching bands in the procession to harbour sports – Yarmouth Carnival has been a wonderfully local affair for over 100 years…..
“I mean Yarmouth is one of those small places where if we’re not relative to each other, it’s a bit of a surprise (laughs) and it might be slightly through marriages and things like that, but I mean in my early days, I could count on about twelve families that were blood relatives, and then we were all very similar and those families married together, so we all knew … were layered on top of each other completely……And Yarmouth Carnival … my guess is like most Carnivals locally were local affairs. Ok, some would have come down from Freshwater, and then after the War, it got into Carnival Queens, so they all went round to the different Carnivals to show off……. It was a very localised affair, everything that went on”
Betty talks about taking part in Yarmouth Carnival in 1946 aged eight with her sister, then later with the Brownies and Guides.
Carol remembers entering Carnival as the Garden Isle in 1953 aged seven and how her mother and grandmother made the costume from real flowers.
Interviewees talk about their parents involvement with Carnival - Andrew's Dad takes part before the war and Betty and Carol's parents helping in the 1950s.
Rodney talks about Yarmouth as a local Carnival.
Memories of the Carnival Fair - Carol recalls watching a flea circus, winning a box Brownie camera and going on the swinging boats, and Betty remembers the sight of all the lorries and steamrollers coming over on the ferry.
Carol and Rodney talk about Carnival Week - sports on the common, harbour sports and the greasy pole.
Carol remembers the holiday parks in Yarmouth getting involved, the bands and the people who led the Carnival.
Rodney talks about some of the work of the Carnival Committee and other events they run through the year.
Andrew taking part in tug of war. Photo belonging to Andrew Pitman.
Andrew as Jonny Onion Man. Photo belonging to Andrew Pitman.
Andrew's Dad Fred as a Chimney Sweep. Photo belonging to Andrew Pitman.
Betty and her sister as Costermongers 1947. Photo belonging to Betty Coates-Evans.
Three legged race. Photo belonging to Betty Coates-Evans.
Sack race with Betty's Father helping. Photo belonging to Betty Coates-Evans.
Late 20s/early 30s South Street fire truck. Photo belonging to Rod Corbett.
Rod in middle wearing feather headdress with Yarmouth Cubs. Photo belonging to Rodney Corbett.
Rod with Yarmouth Fire Station entry, Rod at front aged eighteen. Photo belonging to Rodney Corbett.
Carol as Garden Isle aged eight. Photo belonging to Carol Corbett.