We are now getting into the season of carnivals, festivals and fetes. With all the coverage of T in the Park, anticipation for the Croydon World Party, and adverts for umpteen different festivals a much more local event crept up on me today.

I was on the phone to someone at work and could not concentrate because of a huge amount of drumming in the next street. After finishing the call I went round to take a look and found the Waterloo Carnival in full swing.

There were loads of tables set out in the car park of Cubana, with a barbecue going and a cuban band playing. The normal market was supplemented by a stall selling Cubana t-shirts, several stalls selling jewellery and spicy foods. A few of the shops had put out stalls as well including Honour, which was, frankly, a bit surprising. Honour is the local sex shop (Is that accurate? I don’t think it is a licensed sex shop but more of a fetishwear shop) which is always locked up and you have to ring a bell to get in. Apparently.

Today they had a clothes rack out in the street, festooned with rubber t-shirts and skirts and brightly coloured wigs, tended by a goth who looked out of place in broad daylight.

The park over the road was full of people and colour, and just as I arrived everyone started coming out in a parade. They crossed Bayliss Rd and went on down Lower Marsh. I have no idea where they ended up, but for a very local carnival in a small area, held on a weekday, it was an impressive crowd in some even more impressive costumes.

An unexpected treat.