Notting Hill Carnival 2009 Revisited

To kick start this blog I have posted some photos of the 2009 Notting Hill carnival in preparation for the 2010 carnival post in a few days time. I enjoy the carnival for the "coming together" of communities, the music, the food and the fact that there are so many photo opportunities; whether the subject is Ladbroke Grove eccentrics, the graffiti, the crowds, the smoke, the colours and the general lively vibe of the whole occasion. Carnival is not without it's bad bits, as the media would stand to testify. Not a year goes by without a plea for information or evidence from a victim's family or a hunt down for a criminal. WANTED posters linger on the street long after the event has finished, until they are torn off or blown away. However, the great thing is that thousands upon thousands of people flock to the area to have a really good time, and that's all that matters.