On Friday June 3rd, I joined other members of Hitchin Thespians and their families for a very regal afternoon. We had a fabulous time at the Platinum Jubilee Carnival when, along with other local groups, we took part in Hitchin’s walking parade. A quick search of the internet showed me that Hitchin Carnival was an event rich with history with some images dating back to 1922. I really enjoyed seeing pictures of the smiling, costumed townsfolk of the time peering out from floats adorned with props to match their themes.

For us, the event began in the morning when we all met at Woodside Hall to raid the costume wardrobe! The brief from the organisers, Rotary Club of Hitchin Tilehouse and Hitchin BID, was to visually demonstrate what the last 80 years of the Queen’s reign meant for us. We couldn’t think of a better way than to represent Musical Theatre and the many wonderful shows that have been written and performed during that period. It was also an excellent opportunity to promote The Best of Times – our 120th Anniversary Showcase – so we didn’t want to depict just shows that Hitchin Thespians had performed but the full spectrum of shows the genre encompasses. Feeling inspired, we approached Wardrobe with an open mind… In reality, our choices were very much dictated by the contents of the rails and for some of us, which items we could find that still fit our post-lockdown bodies. Well, my choice certainly was! But despite the limitations before us we managed to find pretty decent representations for Made in Dagenham, Mary Poppins, Hello Dolly, A Chorus line, Matilda, Les Miserables, The King and I and Oliver! amongst others. My choice was an easy one – I opted for the only dress in wardrobe that I knew still fitted me. It is one I wore last year as Mabel in Pirates of Penzance so between that and Andy Johnson’s Major General, Gilbert and Sullivan operettas were represented as well.

We left Woodside resplendent in our costumes ready for the walk to the Football Club. We proudly carried our banners that had been carefully crafted the day before by some of our more creatively-talented members. The heat was intense but we were buoyed up by the excitement of the children with us and so the journey felt brief and full of anticipation. The sight of the carnival dancers that greeted us on arrival did not disappoint! A little in awe of the spectacle that surrounded us, we downed a bottle of water each, slapped on a second layer of suncream and nervously took our place in the line-up waiting for our cue to go. We were heading towards the gates and about to leave when disaster struck… the sound-system ‘had broken down!  A ripple of alarm passed through the assembled procession but the samba band on the main float kept us pleasantly distracted while we waited. Then, all of a sudden, the speaker blared back into life and we were off! 

Led by a float carrying the crowned Queen – well a look-a-like Queen anyway – and Hitchin’s resident Town Cryer the parade proceeded slowly from Hitchin Town Football Club through Fishponds Road where we spotted other society members who had turned up to cheer us on. We felt euphoric as we danced along the streets to the beat of the steel drums and the children handed out flags to some of the many people who lined the pavements. The crowd cheered us on the whole way and we felt a little like celebrities when cameras were thrust into our faces by the local media. We continued through the throng of Bancroft where hundreds of people crowded in from both sides of the road, then along the High Street until we arrived jubilantly in the Market Square.   

The atmosphere was electrifying and the experience is one I will remember for many years. One of my favourite moments of the day was turning on the TV when we returned home and seeing our very own Viv Tadman, dressed as Dolly, being interviewed mid-parade by BBC Look East and sharing her love of our Queen.

I have since found images of us in online reviews of the event, including one at Hitchin Nub News where you can also see the wonderfully costumed carnival dancers that we sadly didn’t get a chance to photograph. I can only hope that in another 100 years’ time a festival newbie like me will look back at our smiling faces in historical archives and enjoy taking part as much as we did. 

By Melanie Plowman-Cobb
Social and Fundraising Manager 

P.S. See if you can spot us in this video from HitchinTV of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Carnival Hitchin