Charivari 2014

A balmy summers day and not a breath of wind was a wonderful backdrop to Folkestone's most vibrant and raucous day of carnival. Charivari Day 2014 was entitled Up on the Downs. This was the 18th year Strange Cargo’s spectacular and colourful carnival parade has taken place. For 2014 the processions was a celebration of East Kent’s coastal landscape. Strange Cargo and their artists worked closely with the team from Up on the Downs, whose work it is to spread awareness and help conserve our unique coastline and landscape -celebrating all that is exceptional about Folkestone’s surrounding landscape of chalkdowns, cliffs and woodlands.

Huge thanks go to our very talented Charivari artist team: Hannah Rushforth, Greg Stobbs, Estelle Rosenfeld, Lisa Oulton, Emily Tull, Sam Giles, Jasmine Al Aidi, Bid Tophill, Lucy Condon, Sarah Roelich, Lorna Doyle, Fiona Woolhead and Grace Zawislak.

Amongst the six themed sections that will be so adeptly brought to life through participants ornate costumes, are the beautiful and extremely rare Late Spider Orchid; the tantalizing and mysterious Folkestone Fossil beds and the unexpected Pillboxes, architectural remnants from WW2 that speckle the coastal landscape.

The event only happened because of generous support from our funders. Our thanks go to Up on the Downs, Shepway District Council, Kent County Council, Folkestone Town Council, The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Rotary Club of Folkestone Channel, Shepway Schools and Interreg. The event can only happen because of generous support from our funders. Our thanks go to Up on the Downs, Shepway District Council, Kent County Council, Folkestone Town Council, The Roger De Haan Charitable Trust, Paul Hamlyn Foundation, Rotary Club of Folkestone Channel, Shepway Schools and Interreg.