2005 - Carousel Queens

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We didn't think we could improve on the successes of 2004 but we are pleased to say we surprised ourselves! The idea came from the question "What is the epitome of summer?" - the answer - children enjoying themselves on a carousel. We didn't just want a standard carousel though, we wanted to take it back to Victorian times with not only the general appearance but the music and particularly the queens' dresses. Using fabrics, colours and accessories of the period, the queens were elegantly transformed into Victorian ladies seated side saddle on a static horse, with two more queueing on a park bench below. The float needed some form of movement, rather than compromise the safety of the girls we enabled the centre section of the carousel to rotate. The mirrors on this and around the float created a startling array of light being reflected throughout the float and into the crowd. Included in the illusion was bubbles and sound activated lighting as well as all the lighting around the carousel chasing to enhance the motion effect. Finally, fairground band organ music was played to the crowd from within the construction. The result? Well judge for yourself!

Results 2006: Bembridge 2nd and Best Over All |  Freshwater 1st and Best Over All |  Shanklin 1st and Best Over All with Junior Miss Charmed |  Shanklin Illuminated 1st |  Ventnor 1st |  Ventnor Illuminated 1st with Barnett Challenge Cup |  Cowes Illuminated 3rd with Best Over All |  St Helens 2nd |  Ryde 1st and Best Over All |  Ryde Illuminated 1st | 

2004 - Pearls of Sandown

Pearls of Sandown came about by chance. We had an idea of a water theme and thought about including pearls and shells with it. We bought 5 shell-style sandpits from Argos and painted them accordingly. Inside the shells we created a shell shaped translucent backing with rope lights behind it to light the queens from behind as well as from the front. Each backing was covered in the same material as the queens' dresses to make them more a part of the shell. Every queen had a football sprayed to look like their own pearl. The rock was cast using a strong concentrated sand/mortar mix for authenticity and added were over 300 seashells sprayed in bright colours. Also included were other items from the beach including anchors, driftwood and a treasure chest with a bubble machine inside! Low voltage halogen lighting was used with coloured gels to produce more colour, and gentle wave sounds played as background audio. Hand-painted images of fish surrounded the float with a blue under lighting to complete the illusion. Finally the dresses were created using light netting and a shell motif front to blend them in with the theme. The whole thing just fell into place and we finished winning the most 1st prizes that season and wondering how we could ever do anything to match it again!

2003 - Royal Jazz

A new idea was to go with music for this theme. We purchased a powerful sound system and played Jazz music to accompany the queens in their period dresses. The float was decorated with jazz instruments including a large piano and a wooden dance floor!

2002 - Royal Jubilee

A bit of a risk building this float since we thought that many other towns might go with the same idea! Although it did not do as well as previous years, we still did quite well. There were literally hundreds of Christmas tree lights on it - every illuminated carnival there was at least one string which had to be checked...

2001 - Sandown Crown Jewels

Another intricate float which scored well. The queens again did Sandown proud, considering they had to sit on stalls for every procession! The effect worked really well and again we were rated very highly by the judges.

2000 - Oranges & Lemons

This float proved to be a real success - we won first prize at most carnivals and the girls were very cheery and happy. The dresses complimented them and the float - what a great season we had!

1999 - The Windmill

A difficult float to build, all the proportions had to be right for this to work, but it looked fantastic and the girls were proud to be a part of it.

1998 - The Paddle Steamer

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1997 - Aztec Temple

The Aztec Temple was simply a stage, tiered with thrones for our queen to sit on. There were bright colours and shapes cut out of polystyrene to give a more authentic feel. The lanterns were fully functional and although we do not encourage naked flames on the float, it was all safety-checked beforehand. Our queens had very unusual dresses and black wigs to match the theme.

1996 - Vintage Car

Our vintage car was a beautiful example of what can be done with plywood! This year we had a boy who wanted to be the chauffeur, which set the scene in his striped jacket!

1995 - The Gondola

Sadly we don't have any pictures for 1995 - can you help?
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1994 - Sandown Sunshine Garden

Sadly we don't have any pictures for 1994 - can you help?
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