As the floats lined up at Lakes Road and Chapel Hill, the sun shone down on the watching crowds. The torrential rain that tried to washout the 1999 event was forgotten and the 37th Braintree and Bocking Carnival was underway.

The watching crowds cheered as nearly thirty floats made their way through the streets of Braintree. A combination of robots, spacemen, Second World War heroes and even Oliver Twist all helped 'Braintree into the Millennium', this years theme.

As the procession approached Meadowside, two cars blocked the traditional route. This forced the floats along Meadowside itself causing chaos for police, lorry drivers and organisers attempting to gather the street collection off the floats. There was also disappointment for the crowds lining Coldnailhurst Avenue.

As the sun shone, the watching crowds were entertained by a variety of acts and displays. Top of the bill this year was Heir of Insanity with their magical mix of aerial and acrobatic skills.

Carnival committee chairman Robert Watson said "We were very fortunate with the weather this year. As the day went on it seemed to get brighter and brighter." A Braintree police spokesman said: "It was a peaceful day which passed without major incident."

Forget all my previous moaning about setting up the Carnival stalls. Disregard anything I might have said about the long hard hours on the field and the all too brief "tea breaks" in the pub. I even take back MOST of the personal abuse directed at Captain Fun when at 1.30 on Sunday morning he is the only one on Meadowside with a cordless screwdriver and he won't let the rest of us play. This year I am coming to the Carnival for a good rest.

I have just moved house after 15 years in Yorkshire and I am physically and emotionally drained. Having moved into my old place with just a fridge, a bed and a video recorder, I was amazed to find how much furniture, clothing and clutter had simply grown out of the walls. Luckily a friend had just bought a house and was not too proud to accept my 2nd, 3rd and probably 15th hand furniture leaving just enough to fit neatly into a hired transit van. For 48 glorious hours we joined the ranks of White Van Man and threw caution to the wind, the Highway Code out of the window and became the Thelma and Louise of the West Midlands.

This is in itself a problem I am no longer part of the Northern Branch of the Carnival Committee, but not yet a southerner. On top of everything else I have a geographical identity crisis.

A week earlier I had tackled the problem of moving three assorted cats and a large black dog in a small black car. The main challenge was that even though I have a cat box big enough for a small horse, cat A likes cat B but hates cat C, cat B likes cat A and does not mind cat C and cat C does not mind either but prefers the dog. Tempting fate I threw them all in together and got about 200 yards before all hell broke loose and I had to blow £14 on a second cat box. They have all settled in well and are now the best of friends as they gang up on the local wildlife.

So now here I am surrounded by boxes that have not yet learned to unpack themselves. The new house is both small and open plan which does not sit well with my motto of "a place for everything and everything all over the place". I am stressed out of my wits and aching in places I did not know I had; compared to this, Carnival will be an absolute doddle.

Thanks to all who helped with the move, particularly Captain Fun who rescued us when the van humiliatingly ran out of fuel 2 miles from home and even, finally, lent me his cordless screwdriver. See you at Carnival. I will be the one who is NOT grumbling about my back, whining that I'm tired and cursing the Captain under my breath. Well, maybe just a little bit for old times sake.