Let's move to Bridgwater, Somerset | Money | The Guardian

Let's move to Bridgwater, Somerset | Money | The Guardian

What's going for it? Come Bonfire Night, it's always Lewes that's the media tart, hogging the limelight with its conflagrations and humorous Guys. But what about Bridgwater? Bridgwater? Exactly. Little did ye know that Bridgwater on Guy Fawkes Night claims to have the largest illuminated carnival in Europe (4 November this year). Who knew about the splendidly eccentric tradition of Somerset November carnivals? Scores of clubs in different towns and villages compete for the best themed "cart" (they're not called floats round here), each lit up like a Wurlitzer with multicoloured lightbulbs (lightbulbs being a post-Victorian safety initiative to stop the town burning down), and each watched by hundreds of thousands of locals. Bridgwater's is the oldest and biggest, transforming the place into carnivalesque Rio, only with hot cider and 100-watt bulbs (surely eco-bulbs these days). Check out the footage (and the marvellous Alan Partridge-ish presenter) at bridgwatercarnival.org.uk. ........