It rained, it rained hard and it rained for most of the afternoon. However, the weather failed to dampen the spirits of the Braintree people who turned out in their thousands to cheer the floats through the town centre.

The day started in confusion as the floats lined up along Station Approach for the first ever time. This was after over thirty years of starting at Lakes Road. The wet weather added to the confusion and an air of despondency overshadowed proceedings as the procession set off slightly late.

Spirits lifted as they reached the town centre. There to greet them was one of the best turnouts ever. Thousands of people cheered and wave the 30 floats despite the decidedly chilly damp conditions. To highlight the level of support, the Street Collection was nearly 20% up on the previous year at just over £1300. This was good news for the St. Lawrence Surgery in Bocking who would be the prime beneficiary from the years proceeds.

The procession continued its way to Meadowside where the afternoon of free entertainment had already begun. However, there were some disappointments for the carnival-goers who braved the elements despite some of the worst efforts of the British weather. The top attraction Heir of Insanity were unable to perform for safety reasons. The same went for the Medieval Combat Society and the Wrestling. The marching bands however played on and the live rock group Exhale played through the evening.

A big thank you goes out to all the people of Braintree who helped with and supported the event and ensured a tremendous show despite the weather.

Despite the weather, the Carnival celebrated another record breaking year with the street collection up an amazing 20% at £1,300. This allowed £1,500 to be used to purchase an E.C.G. machine for St. Lawrence Surgery in Bocking End, Braintree. Some 16,000 patients are registered at the surgery.

This is a machine that traces changes in electrical potential generated by the contractions of the heart. An E.C.G. is a basic diagnostic indicator that tells the doctor about the condition of the heart. The patient is wired to the machine and a recording is traced on a paper, the wave patterns reveal any damage the heart may have suffered or certain abnormalities that may require further investigations.

This recording can be performed at the surgery or in the patients home if necessary.

Heart disease is still Britain's biggest killer, an E.C.G. recording can show signs of heart disease and other heart disorders. Early diagnosis enables patients to receive treatment at an early stage, which in turn can save lives.

Hilda Franklin, a nursing sister at the surgery, said "It's brilliant. We wrote to carnival organisers last Summer asking if they would be interested in raising money for an E.C.G. machine and now they have".

A further £800 was distributed to other worthy causes.

Hard to believe it's a whole year since the last Carnival. It seems like only yesterday I was helping to take down the lights, packing up the stalls, saying my goodbyes and working on my piece for this year's programme. Actually, that was only yesterday.

Since then I have a new job and a new car. The Carnival has a new stall and Captain and Mrs. Fun have a new baby and presumably, a new overdraft. Next year of course will be not just a new year but a new millennium. There may be another new stall you might even have a new currency to spend on it. Yet despite all this newness (is that really a word?) what will actually have changed? The sun will still rise, the rain will still fall, Carol Voorderman will still be on every other TV programme.

The French, as usual have an apt and stylish way of putting this: "Plus ça change, plus ça la meme chose". The more things change, the more they stay the same. OK, so as far as logical statements go it's right up there with "what goes around comes around" and "self cleaning ovens", but it is a neat way of saying tradition has a way of keeping up with the times.

Here at the Carnival field we have a few traditions of our own. The traditional panic that one of the stalls has a bit missing, a traditional lack of power tools and my personal tradition of sloping off to the pub just in time to avoid assembling 'Striker'. I must I like having a bit of tradition in my life. It is sort of comforting to know that whatever else changes I know where I will be and what I will be doing at the beginning of June each year. Who knows, the Carnival will probably outlive us all and remain a tradition well into the next millennium. I certainly hope so.

Talking of which, I just have time to tell you my plans for the millennium itself. After years in the catering industry watching everyone else having a good time I am going to do something completely new. I'll be back here plugging in the lights, putting up the stalls, panicing about the missing bits, sloping off to the pub and loving every minute of it. Plus ca change . . .

Have a great carnival and see you on New Years Eve.

Now some of my regular readers out there will no doubt remember last year's article relating to shopping. No? Oh, and I thought you had all been sat there desperately awaiting to read about how it was the sight of an Easter Egg that finally broke me. Ok so the article was more of a mindless rant and was almost completely irrelevant to the Carnival and I had no intention of continuing it this year. 'Plenty of time to come up with an article' I thought in exactly the same over optimistic way I do every year. I knew the fact that we were expecting our first child (born last September) would not be a problem. I would use it to help focus the mind and concentrate more. No longer would I leave things to the last minute.

So here is the follow up to last year's article and completed only two weeks after the 'last final, don't you dare miss it' deadline.

The story started back in September of 97 as the little darlings returned back to school after their six-week hell-idays. Within hours, Christmas decorations appeared in the shops. Don't believe me, well look for yourself this year. We may be just approaching Summer, but mark my words, within three months of reading this, the shops will be rapidly filling with tinsel and gift wrap. The full marketing might of the retail world all get together to convince us that the true meaning of Christmas involves eating, drinking and buying each other gift-wrapped tat.

Please don't misunderstand me though; I actually like Christmas including all the paraphernalia that goes with it these days. I just think it should all be banned until after Guy Fawkes night.

Whilst on the subject, what's happening the Halloween and Guy Fawkes? Halloween becomes increasingly Americanized. Oh how I look forward to a night traipsing around after little Billy and his chums in the cold and the rain dressed as a Ghoul. How long before we are all sending each other 'Happy Bonfire Night' cards or do some of you already?

As Christmas approaches, the shelves of card shops become increasingly filled with pictures of the big man in red, snowmen, robins and cute fluffy animals giving each other gifts. Don't whatever you do, happen to be born in December or early January. At this time of year there is only room for about four Birthday cards in each shop.

Anyway, just prior to the Christmas rush, shops start announcing their 'worst sales figures in living memory' and all the sales start early. Obviously they wait until the end of January to announce record sales.

Eventually Christmas arrives. Now, am I wrong or did it all seam so easy in the past. We all got over excited, Father C. turned up as planned, we all ate and drank too much, fell out with the rest of the family, remembering why we only see them at Christmas and had a desperately rotten time. It was great.

Shops opened from 9 a.m. to 5.30 p.m. Monday to Saturday and we all managed to buy too much. Some supermarkets now open 24hrs - 7 days a week which equates to a massive 117 extra shopping hours or nearly 14 'old shopping days' extra per week. How come then I still have to queue at the checkout?

Boxing Day arrives and nestled snugly amongst the plethora of 'January Sales' adverts (remember most of these sales have now been running for a couple of weeks) appear the Holiday programmes where more rich celebs' spout on about places they have been paid to stay at. However, the worst is yet to come.

Just as you sit down to watch another twenty-year-old Bond movie, it appears, the years first Cadbury's Creme Egg advert. A few days later as Crimbo decorations are being desperately dumped at half price to avoid having to hang on to the stock until September when they can be sold again, Easter Eggs appear on the shelves. Now, can anybody tell me just how organised you have to be to buy an egg four months early? Be honest now, how many of you out there have tried this? Then having finally cracked under the pressure of the 'Seven week spinach diet' eaten the lot. You then had to run out and replace them before your partner realises what you have done.

Anyway, must finish now as the Little One has decided it's time he some had attention paid to him. So until next year... Happy Easter.