[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":11},["ShallowReactive",2],{"blog-post-notting-hill-carnival-2018":3},{"_type":4,"body":5,"bodyHtml":6,"excerpt":5,"featuredImage":5,"publishedAt":7,"slug":8,"tags":9,"title":10},"blogPost",null,"I was completely surprised to be asked to be one of the judges at the Notting Hill Carnival on Sunday, Family Day. I'd be judging the children's Costume Mas (short for 'masquerade') and the Dutty Mas bands. I checked there were lots of other judges, especially ones from Afro-Caribbean backgrounds - I didn't want to be the only one making the call! - but then curiousity overtook me and I said yes. And it was a wonderful day out, with the most amazing vantage point for seeing the parade! Here are Stuart and me, starting to get excited before everything kicked off. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/491384_original-e6f344cded.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nAnd here are my fellow judges, from the right: \u003Ca href=\"http://www.brixtonblog.com/cbe-for-black-cultural-archives-dawn-hill/49057\">Dawn Hill\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/OfficJoanAchong\">Joan Achong\u003C/a>, \u003Ca href=\"http://www.otheredition.com/blog/?p=422\">Brigitte Stepputtis\u003C/a>, me and \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/niibiggagwop\">Nii Sackey\u003C/a>. (I think one more was supposed to join us but she didn't make it.) \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/491741_original-3b8701105c.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nWe were so well looked after, with the tastiest Caribbean food, and I got to see so many amazing things! A truly wonderful day. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/492500_original-f132e03d02.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003C!--more Click here for lots more under the cut!-->\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/492554_original-9d09badeef.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nTwo minutes of silence for the people who died in Grenfell Tower:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/491874_original-204495ac95.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nNotting Hill Carnival's new Ambassador \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/alexandramusic\">Alexandra Burke\u003C/a>:\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/492071_original-5e3eb85b22.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/496147_original-67da1523fe.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/colinsalmon24\">Colin Salmon\u003C/a>! Not only is he awesome in the Bond films, but he's playing Chudleigh Pomeroy in the upcoming film version of Philip Reeve's \u003Ci>Mortal Engines\u003C/i> book! (And now he follows me on Twitter, swoon!)\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/493044_original-6bc1271338.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nIt's awesome poet and playright \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/InuaEllams\">Inua Ellams\u003C/a>! I saw his Barber Shop Chronicles at the National Theatre and it was absolutely brilliant. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/493252_original-583efd6ac5.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/493415_original-99c365e48e.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/493773_original-64152e305e.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/494074_original-4c95d0ac29.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/494279_original-18db88460e.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/494546_original-f82e8fdfaf.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/494761_original-145550f1e7.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/494980_original-03cfca4d5d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/495213_original-eba9927444.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/495575_original-1e9fc17a4e.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/495912_original-2d76547c26.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/496411_original-cf87ee0c40.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/496752_original-49c6b1f794.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nBig thanks to the awesome team who made this all happen! You can follow them on Twitter at \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/NHCarnivalLDN\">@NHCarnivalLDN\u003C/a>. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/495631_original-c25039c55d.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">\\r\n\\r\nIf I could pass the baton on to someone else to be a judge, I'd choose children's book writer \u003Ca href=\"https://twitter.com/nadialhohn\">Nadia Hohn\u003C/a> (whom I met at the Dubai Lit Fest). She's written books, illustrated by Irene Luxbacher, that are actually about Carnival, and she even has the costumes! She says she'd love to fly out from the States for it if she's invited. \\r\n\\r\n\u003Cimg src=\"https://images.jabberworks.co.uk/lj/497127_original-2cc8658aeb.jpg\" alt=\"\" title=\"\">","2018-08-30T21:25:00.000Z","notting-hill-carnival-2018",[],"notting hill carnival 2018",1776628729732]