Why do we attempt to organise out-door events in Britain's unpredictable temperate climate? Beset by the usual list of 'challenges' the team returned to a wet and muddy Meadowside. A playground had been built just where the Dodgems should be and football posts had mysteriously sprouted in the middle of the arena. I nice man from the council arrived and removed the goalposts but he wasn't able to remove the playground.

Despite this, by Saturday lunchtime it was still damp but everything was ready. What could possibly go wrong - well...

The turnout for the procession was great and it went on forever. Obviously it was late and there was the usual frantic dash to get the money off the floats. Then a lorry got stock and totally blocked Currants Farm Road for over an hour. There followed a fun packed afternoon headlined by Jez Avery on both push bike and motorbike (not at the same time).

Although it never quite actually rained (very hard) it wasn't particularly dry either. However, the event finally had to come to a close at 10pm.

Packing away started smoothly until our large van got stuck in the mud for an hour. A gentle tug with an even larger van borrowed from the Fair eventually got us on the move again. Eventually everything was safely tucked up back in the store and it was all over for another year.

Little Havens Children's Hospice opened its doors in March 1998, and was the first children's hospice in the South East of England. There was a desperate need for a children's hospice to care for families with children affected by life?limiting and life?threatening illnesses in Essex.

Little Havens, is a sanctuary for children and families. Parents and siblings benefit immeasurably from the home?from?home environment, in which they can take a break from the strain of constant care, and concentrate on being a family. The daily toll of caring for a child with life?limiting or life?threatening condition places huge emotional, physical, mental and often financial strain upon the whole family.

Our current annual running costs amount to a staggering £2.1 million, and with very limited government funding we are reliant on the local community's generosity kindness and support to enable us to continue caring for the children and families who so desperately need the services we provide at Little Havens.

East Anglia's Children's Hospices (EACH) aims to maximise the quality of life for children and young people with a life?limiting or life?threatening condition, and their families.

In addition to the all?important end of life care that is always a priority, our services include ongoing respite care, family support, music therapy, assisted play and hydrotherapy. Our aim is to enable the child and their family to make the most of their precious time together and reach their full potential, whatever that may be. We also provide bereavement counseling for parents and siblings, and our care staff are on hand for as long as the family needs support. The care and support we provide is totally free, providing fun, friendship, laughter and learning to help children and their families make the most of their precious time together.

Presentation

Carnival Queen Romaine Lee and Princess Mollie Baker presented a cheque for £1000 to Victoria Beckinsdale from Little Havens Children's Hospice. Another for the same amount was also presented to Graham Butland from East Anglia Children's Hospice. Carnival Chairman, Martin Green is also pictured.

• Procrastinate now; don't put it off.
• Half the people you know are below average.
• The sooner you fall behind the more time you'll have to catch up.
• The early bird may get the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese.
• Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.
• If at first you DO succeed, try not to look surprised!
• When all else fails, read the directions.
• Honesty is the best policy. But insanity is a better defence.
• I intend to live forever - so far, so good.
• If Barbie is so popular, why do you have to buy her friends?
• There are 3 kinds of people: those who can count and those who can't.
• Shin: A device for finding furniture in the dark.
• It's not an optical illusion; it just looks like one.
• I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
• I say no to drugs, but they don't listen.
• All those who believe in telekinesis, raise my hand.
• Help Wanted: Telepath. You know where to apply.
• Sign on baby's bib: SPIT HAPPENS
• Smash forehead on keyboard to continue.....
• As far as we know, our computer has never had an undetected error.
• Never knock on Death's door. Ring the doorbell and run. (He hates that.)
• Lead me not into temptation. I can find the way myself.
• Why do you press harder on the remote control when you know that the battery is dead?
• Tell a man that there are 400 billion stars and he'll believe you. Tell him a bench has wet paint and he has to touch it.
• Don't use a big word when a diminutive one will do.
• Some people are like Slinkys, they are good for nothing but can still bring a smile to your face when you push them down the stairs.
• My imaginary friend thinks you have some serious issues.
• If we weren't all crazy, we would go insane.
• Everyone hates me because I'm paranoid.
• All generalisations are false, even this one.
• I know it sounds like I'm in denial, but I'm not.
• As long as I can remember, I've had amnesia.
• Work fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.
• Education is what you get from reading the small print. Experience is what you get from not reading it.
• If a man is standing in the middle of a forest speaking and there is no woman around to hear him, is he still wrong?
• It's a big mistake to allow any mechanical object to realise that you are in a hurry.
• There are two kinds of people. Those who finish what they start and...

• "They misunderestimated me!"
  George W. Bush
• "If your parents never had children, chances are you won't either."
  Dick Cavett
• "I've been up and down so many times that I feel as if I'm in a revolving door."
  Cher
• "So Carol, you're a housewife and mother. And have you got any children?"
  Michael Barrymore
• "I've got 10 pairs of training shoes - one for every day of the week"
  Sam Fox
• "My second hit was a flop."
  Shakin' Stevens
• "My shoes are size 2 and a 1/2, the same size as my feet"
  Elaine Page
• "A week is a long time in politics, and three weeks is twice as long"
  Rosie Barnes
• "There is certainly more in the future now than back in 1964."
  Roger Daltrey
• "Moving from Wales to Italy is like moving to a different country."
  Ian Rush
• "You can hardly tell where the computer models finish and the real dinosaurs begin."
  Laura Dern, about the special effects in Jurassic Park
• "I was recently on a tour of Latin America, and the only regret I have was that I didn't study Latin harder in school so I could converse with those people."
  Dan Quayle
• "Sometimes they write what I say and not what I mean."
  Baseball Player Pedro Guerrero on Reporters
• "Traditionally, most of Australia's imports come from overseas."
  Keppel Enderbery
• "He's a guy who gets up at six o'clock in the morning regardless of what time it is."
  Lou Duva, Veteran Boxing Trainer
• "The streets are safe in Philadelphia. It's only the people who make them unsafe."
  Frank Rizzo, Ex-Police Chief and Mayor of Philadelphia
• "Most cars on our roads have only one occupant, usually the driver."
  Carol Malia, BBC Anchorwoman
• "For those of you haven't read the book, it's being published tomorrow."
  David Frost
• "If it weren't for electricity we'd all be watching television by candlelight."
  George Gobel
• "Traffic is very heavy at the moment, so if you are thinking of leaving now, you'd better set off a few minutes earlier."
  BBC London Traffic Report
• "A low voter turnout is an indication of fewer people going to the polls."
  Dan Quayle
• "It's not pollution that is hurting the environment, it's the impurities in our air and water that are doing it."
  Dan Quayle
• "Predictions are difficult, especially about the future."
  Yogi Berra, Baseball Player
• "I have opinions of my own -strong opinions- but I don't always agree with them."
  George Bush [Senior]
• "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."
  Yogi Berra commenting on a popular restaurant
• "Once you can accept the universe as matter expanding into nothing that is something, wearing stripes with plaid comes easy."
  Albert Einstein