Members of the City of Leicester Twinning Association prepare to set out from Town Hall Square
By Richard Wallace
The 450mile marathon
bus journey to Leicester's German twin city, Krefeld is almost over.
I and 25 hardy twinners set off aboard an open-topped double decker bus
yesterday evening. We are due to arrive in Krefeld at 2.30 p.m.
German time.
Meeting up with us will be another 10 slightly adventurous members who
travelled by car.
Yesterday's brief thaw ensured clear motoring from the Town Hall to
the ferry at Felixtowe, with the 19-year-old bus, top speed 43 m.p.h.,
going nearly flat out all the way.
The bus might have the looks, but it definitely lacks luxury and, as we
sedately swallowed up the miles, everyone suffered saddle soreness.
Champion town crier Norman Roberts suddenly remembered why this was his
first bur ride for 30 years. Any flagging spirits were soon lifted
by a quick burst on the banjo by a member of the Hiss and Boo Band, who
soon had us all singing - though not usually at the same time.
Thankfully his suggestion of a worst passport picture competition was
taken up.
The seven-hour ferry crossing from Felizstowe to Zebrugge temporarily
hushed even the Hiss and Boo Band as we all prepared for yet another more
enjoyable marathon - three days of celebrating at Krefeld Carnival
Carnival time in the Rhineland of West Germany is a week of eat, drink and be merry. Richard Wallace reports.
Imagine every pavement, pub, tree and window ledge in and around Leicester city centre packed solid with people.
You will then have an idea of the size of yesterday's Krefeld Carnival procession in which the city was represented by more than 36 members of Leicester's Twinning Association.
More the 200,000 people lined the street and hung from every possible vantage point to watch a huge procession of floats of all sizes pass around the city centre.
Each float, big or small, received an individual cheer from all parts of the crowd and everyone was showering ticker-tape and confetti.
Our own Hiss and Boo Band braved a bitterly cold wind to keep up a steady flow of music throughout the procession. A few bars of When the Saints go Marching in, seemed to cause mild hysteria.
Once the procession was over people again moved into the bars to continue the celebration and the local council began a massive clean-up operation to clear the mountains of debris left behind.
It was quite a party ... and it still has another day to go.
The final day of the visit
After the party's over
As the week-long Krefeld
Carnival begins to wind down for another year, the Leicester twinners
started the long trek home.
Invited for the first time to officially represent the city during the
carnival, the group experienced German hospitality to the full.
Last night's final fling in the bar on the edge of town was no exception.
The carnival is a tradition restricted to Rhineland towns, and the climax
of the festivities is the ceremonial burning of the effigy of the clown
prince, spirit of the carnival, loosely similar to our Guy Fawkes.
Throughout the carnival effigies of the prince are perched in bars, restaurants
- even hanging from street hoardings - to signify the continuation of
the carnival.
