THE ORIGINS OF HANWELL CARNIVAL
The tiny medieval village of Hanwell consisted of a cluster of mud and wattle huts situated near a spring of fresh water, on the high ground where St. Mary`s Church now stands. Life was hard then, and during the severe winters there was little food and much hardship. Thus, the coming of Spring, with its warmer weather and newly grown crops, was a cause for much celebration. Hanwell has always been a close, caring community, and it may well be that those early Spring festivities were the forerunner of the Hanwell Carnival we know today.
The earliest record of Hanwell Carnival comes from an entry in a report of Hanwell Cottage Hospital in 1900, which shows a " donation from Hanwell Carnival . . . £14.19s 9d". Certainly , many of our elder residents remember with great affection, the colourful processions and fetes which took place until the Second World War.
The years following the war were difficult, and it was not until 1961 that the Carnival once more became part of Hanwell life. It was then that the Hanwell Philanthropic Institute, together with Hanwell Rotary Club and Round Table, got together to raise money to build a much needed Residential Home for elderly Hanwell people (now Hanwell House). With help from Billy Smart the showman – who had early links with Hanwell – and much enthusiasm from local people, the re-established Carnival proved a great success, In fact, it proved so popular that a voluntary Carnival Committee was formed to continue the event each year. The aim was to encourage the splendid community spirit in the village of Hanwell and, at the same time, raise money for local Charities.
Thus, Hanwell Carnival continues to this day, and draws 12 to 15,000 people on the day. They come to watch the procession of floats and marching bands as they make their way through the streets and into Elthorne Park. Then everyone joins in the fun of the sideshows, stalls and entertainment Many local Charity organisations, like Friends of Hanwell House, Friends of Ealing Hospital, Age Concern and Hanwell Neighbourly Care, are able to continue their good work, as a result of the money they raise in the Park.
Hanwell is a small parish, about two miles long by half a mile wide, and even in today's fast modern world, it remains a close-knit, caring community. Carnival is Hanwell`s special Day Out and yes – it could well be continuing a tradition started may hundreds of years ago, in the original, small medieval village.