The Top Floor Flat

This weekend brings with it another Monday Bank Holiday and the annual event, the Notting Hill Carnival. This Caribbean influenced festival sees all of Notting Hill transformed into a heaving, music-filled, dance party with Rio-like costumes, floats loaded with sound systems to rival most nightclubs and half of London in attendance. Last year I missed this essential London carnival, instead doing a bus trip through Wales for possibly the most polar opposite experience possible. This year, I won’t make the same mistake and will be making my way to the Carnival on for either Sunday or Monday’s festivities.

Some things in particular I am looking forward to:

– Enjoying a major London event that is a 15 minute walk from my flat (seriously, this is a big deal – very few things happen in West London).
– Authentic Caribbean food. ‘Nuff said.
– Amazing music. From electro to pop to reggae, the sound systems are apparently as varied as the costumes.
– Notting Hill Carnival After-Parties. As big as the days themselves, these parties range from an extended public party to secret events in local pubs and houses.

In any case, expect a full recap post-Carnival fun with pictures of course! We’ve been gearing up for the Festival at Spoonfed and one of my co-workers has put together the essential Notting Hill Carnival Beginner’s Guide which, while useful, won’t be quite as helpful as just tagging along with him (and his multiple years of Carnival navigation experience). If you’re on Twitter, you can follow everyone’s comments from the event on the hashtag #nhc09.

Happy Bank Holiday Weekend!