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Carnival set to return to Cowley Road

7:10am Tuesday 9th March 2010 in


COWLEY Road will once again play host to a colourful procession under plans revealed by the organisers of Oxford’s biggest free public event.

The Cowley Road Works charity has pledged to return the East Oxford carnival to its spiritual home as part of a two day celebration in July – provide it can raise the money.

Last year the annual summer carnival took place in South Park, and traders were asked to contribute to the estimated £150,000 cost to move the carnival back to Cowley Road.

Businesses wanted a guarantee the carnival would return to Cowley Road before they contributed.

And last night the organising committee revealed detailed proposals – subject to funding – which will see the cosmopolitan street once again take centre stage.

Cowley Road Works spokesman Laura Dolphin said: “We are planning to deliver a programme that encompasses Cowley Road and South Park in a single community-focused event.

“We are looking forward to seeing Cowley Road buzzing with the sound systems, performers and street events that Carnival attracts.”

Under the proposals, Cowley Road will be closed to traffic from Magdalen Road to The Plain roundabout on Sunday, July 4. That closure will unlock £7,500 of funds from the council’s East Area Parliament.

A Wacky Races event and procession will fill the street, which will also have music sound systems, traders’ stalls and street performers.

A simultaneous event, also including a procession, will take place in South Park.

Music stages, roving performers and creative workshops will also be seen in the park.

A ticketed music concert to be held in South Park the night before will raise an estimated £25,000 towards the event’s final costs.

Cowley Road Works said it had raised £1,000 of the expected £25,000 of traders contributions for the event, and last night it renewed appeals for financial help from local businesses.

Last year, Abdul-Halim Shorkar, owner of the First Floor Restaurant, spent more than £2,500 to put a marquee in the park. He said: “The event is getting bigger and better so it all sounds very exciting.”

The carnival normally attracts 30,000 revellers each year. This year’s theme will be Invention.

Despite the detailed plans the whole event is subject to receiving enough funding. Organisers hope to pick up £17,500 in grants from the city and county councils and £5,000 from corporate sponsors – and are bidding for £50,000 from the Arts Council.

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Comments(31)

Joe Cooke says...
8:36am Tue 9 Mar 10

Lets hope it's not plaqued by gangs of Asian and African youths engaging in gang warfare like last year or will it be covered up to make it look like they get on? Will we still see the amazing teddy bear picnic? lol

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BartSimpson says...
10:56am Tue 9 Mar 10

Spot on Joe. This is turning out like a mini Notting Hill carnival, where our ethnic friends use it as an excuse to deal drugs, rob, loot and aven kill, but the police turn a blind eye to it.

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Jamie Burns says...
1:32pm Tue 9 Mar 10

Why was the comment asking about the gangs fighting last year removed. It was a legitimate question i.e Is it going to be safe to attend without having to worry about getting caught up in somebody else's feud ?

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Jamie Burns says...
1:34pm Tue 9 Mar 10

Jamie Burns wrote:
Why was the comment asking about the gangs fighting last year removed. It was a legitimate question i.e Is it going to be safe to attend without having to worry about getting caught up in somebody else's feud ?
Well it wasn't there a minute ago !!!!

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Pierre My says...
2:20pm Tue 9 Mar 10

i think the point that you lot are missing, is that the Cowley Rd is like that everyday of the year. Drug Dealing, Ethnic Gang Fights, Junkies doing what they can to get their next fix, ladies of the night plying their trade. So what makes you think that because of the carnival things should be any different. The same people will still be doing their usual stuff, all of you coming to visit oce a year should be thankful that the police let all of this go on, because otherwise it may happen in your community. The Cowley Rd is now officially a Ghetto, a dumping ground for borderline immigrants, junkies, alkies, the mentally ill and other people that should be in care, so by all means come to the carnival, but unless you fall into one of the catagories above, stick to the main rd, and don't show off any valuables, that way you have a small chance of going home in the same condition that you arrived.

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cowleyroadqueen says...
3:20pm Tue 9 Mar 10

Appauling comments! Last year was the first year I have ever known there to be trouble at the carnival. And Cowley Road a Ghetto?? Get off your high horse!! If you're scared to attend, then don't. Simple really.

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Lord Palmerston says...
3:20pm Tue 9 Mar 10

"Oxford’s biggest free public event."

"That closure will unlock £7,500 of funds from the council’s East Area Parliament. "

"Organisers hope to pick up £17,500 in grants from the city and county councils – and are bidding for £50,000 from the Arts Council. "

Free? It sounds as though it's going to cost us shed loads of cash. Nobody I know would wish to be within a mile of it, on the main road or not, so why the heck are we all going to have to pay for it? Can't we just stop throwing tax pounds away on gimmicks like this-NOW?

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cowleyroadqueen says...
3:23pm Tue 9 Mar 10

Lord Palmerston wrote:
"Oxford’s biggest free public event." "That closure will unlock £7,500 of funds from the council’s East Area Parliament. " "Organisers hope to pick up £17,500 in grants from the city and county councils – and are bidding for £50,000 from the Arts Council. " Free? It sounds as though it's going to cost us shed loads of cash. Nobody I know would wish to be within a mile of it, on the main road or not, so why the heck are we all going to have to pay for it? Can't we just stop throwing tax pounds away on gimmicks like this-NOW?
Heaven forbid the council should put money into the community or family events!

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Pierre My says...
4:34pm Tue 9 Mar 10

cowleyroadqueen wrote:
Appauling comments! Last year was the first year I have ever known there to be trouble at the carnival. And Cowley Road a Ghetto?? Get off your high horse!! If you're scared to attend, then don't. Simple really.
Queeny Love. I live on the Cowley Rd, and some of my friends come from the above group, so I know what I am talking about. Although it is my home. I can say that the Cowley Rd has become a sh!thole, look at the rubbish, the food being displayed on the path like some unhygenic 3rd world country bazaar, stand outside Tesco and watch the dregs of society trying live their dishonest life, marvel at the 2,000 watt ICE in the B.M.Ws of the Drug Dealers as they BOOM BOOM BOOM past you. If you live here then you would know the truth, if you don't, I am more than willing to give you a guided tour. There are no high horses here deary just the TRUTH.

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Lord Palmerston says...
4:48pm Tue 9 Mar 10

"Heaven forbid the council should put money into the community or family events!"
Read this slowly queenie and you may understand. The-council-does-not
- have -any- money. It is taxpayers money and even that is not enough because it won't pay for the council's gold plated pensions. It is my money (and yours, if you work) and if your family or "community" (whatever that is supposed to mean) wants a jamboree, then it will pay for it. That's what people do, queenie mon petit choufleur.

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sundance69 says...
5:20pm Tue 9 Mar 10

Whya oh why on a sunday?

cant really let ones hair downhey?

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Pierre My says...
5:41pm Tue 9 Mar 10

sundance69 wrote:
Whya oh why on a sunday? cant really let ones hair downhey?
It was wanted on a Friday, so we could let our hair down and party for the weekend. But it clashed with Friday Prayers in the Manzil Way Mosque, so it had to be moved to a Sunday. Which is fair enough because you cannot upset the Muslim majority, over the Christian minority wanting to go to Church.

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187ums says...
9:09pm Tue 9 Mar 10

pierre you sound like a real numpty, in fact you probably are. The carnival has always taken pplace on a Sunday because thats the day most people can actually get thier, thats the day the traffic will not come to a stand still, in fact pierre you sound like a really silly bloke who does not have a clue, its got nothing to do with muslims or the mosque. Oh and one more thing thier were "white" kids as well at last years bash

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Pierre My says...
8:59am Wed 10 Mar 10

187ums wrote:
pierre you sound like a real numpty, in fact you probably are. The carnival has always taken pplace on a Sunday because thats the day most people can actually get thier, thats the day the traffic will not come to a stand still, in fact pierre you sound like a really silly bloke who does not have a clue, its got nothing to do with muslims or the mosque. Oh and one more thing thier were "white" kids as well at last years bash
Who missed out when they came to the sense of humour counter, eh. I bet you are a barrel of laughs and a real party animal.

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Joe Cooke says...
9:32am Wed 10 Mar 10

Bet there will be trouble this year and I expect there will be a lack of arrest as usual, if this was football fans causing problems they would get fined and named as usual in the Oxford mail. To be honest I think it is being ruined by these gangs of Pakistani and African youths as apart from the trouble I quite like the carnival, listening to music and trying different food.

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187ums says...
10:14am Wed 10 Mar 10

"I bet you are a barrel of laughs and a real party animal."

maybe not, but i am not a numpty, unlike you.

what makes you think you can write silly and inaccuate comments?

not just gangs of africans and pak's but your lovely "white" boys as well, watch the videos

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locodogz says...
12:15pm Wed 10 Mar 10

Pierre My wrote:
sundance69 wrote: Whya oh why on a sunday? cant really let ones hair downhey?
It was wanted on a Friday, so we could let our hair down and party for the weekend. But it clashed with Friday Prayers in the Manzil Way Mosque, so it had to be moved to a Sunday. Which is fair enough because you cannot upset the Muslim majority, over the Christian minority wanting to go to Church.
So you lie to make some tenuous point about (your perception of the)treatment of muslims vs that of christians - and when caught out play the 'humour' card....hmmm don't give up the day job Petra

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Joe Cooke says...
1:00pm Wed 10 Mar 10

watch the videos? where? what of people trying to look like their gangsters? or just hanging around looking bored! perhaps these hard guys should try acting up in areas of Sunderland that I have lived in, they would not last 5 minutes!

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187ums says...
5:25pm Wed 10 Mar 10

you can watch them on you tube if you like, well you know what they say about southern softies dont you!

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Darth Formby says...
6:23pm Wed 10 Mar 10

Pie ears, you really are an idiot. You talk fish heads and bean tins then pretend it's a joke. Park up, you fridge magnet.

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daveg2008 says...
8:39pm Wed 10 Mar 10

anyone else think laura dolphin looks hot in her mack?

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Pierre My says...
6:59am Thu 11 Mar 10

Darth Formby wrote:
Pie ears, you really are an idiot. You talk fish heads and bean tins then pretend it's a joke. Park up, you fridge magnet.
Any chance of a translating this into English?. That's if you are capable.

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Pierre My says...
7:10am Thu 11 Mar 10

Poco-Loco. You do really need to chill out mate. You'll give yourself a heart attack winding your self up over our inane comments.

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Darth Formby says...
12:53pm Thu 11 Mar 10

Pierre My wrote:
Darth Formby wrote:
Pie ears, you really are an idiot. You talk fish heads and bean tins then pretend it's a joke. Park up, you fridge magnet.
Any chance of a translating this into English?. That's if you are capable.
Pie Ears, you are also predictably lame. It was written in English, but because you are such a doltish prig, I will expound.
.
Fish heads and bean tins = rubbish
.
'Park up' means stop
.
'You fridge magnet' means that you are a strange tastless curiosity that serves no valid purpose, and gets in the way sometimes..like a fridge magnet, Pie Ears.

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edy.khan says...
5:08pm Thu 11 Mar 10

I work on Cowley Rd & I have attended few carnivals here with my children. Last year few teenagers caused few skirmishes & anti social behavior nothing concerned me that I wouldn’t be attending this year with my kids. This event is for everyone & I am so shocked to read some of these stupid comments about Asian, African or Muslim & Christians etc, etc this event is to bring people together not separate communities. It’s fun once a year in our city so enjoy it even thought you don’t like anyone apart from yourself still come out & see for yourself we are all humans.

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Pierre My says...
6:56pm Thu 11 Mar 10

Darth Formby wrote:
Pierre My wrote:
Darth Formby wrote: Pie ears, you really are an idiot. You talk fish heads and bean tins then pretend it's a joke. Park up, you fridge magnet.
Any chance of a translating this into English?. That's if you are capable.
Pie Ears, you are also predictably lame. It was written in English, but because you are such a doltish prig, I will expound. . Fish heads and bean tins = rubbish . 'Park up' means stop . 'You fridge magnet' means that you are a strange tastless curiosity that serves no valid purpose, and gets in the way sometimes..like a fridge magnet, Pie Ears.
Cheers for the translation mate. I take it you passed your A Level English with flying colours. P.S. Lets wiat and see if the 1st 3 posters Joe, Bart, and Jamie are right or not. It might pass peacefully now that the J.S.T. is no longer a drugs den.

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Pierre My says...
10:14pm Thu 11 Mar 10

Diddums, Poco-Loco, and Mr Vadar. Ma see mier mung khun chok wow.

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Darth Formby says...
6:22pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Pierre My wrote:
Diddums, Poco-Loco, and Mr Vadar. Ma see mier mung khun chok wow.
Any chance of translating this into English? That's if you are capable.

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poppy721 says...
7:38pm Fri 12 Mar 10

Cowley Road is just a dump full of graffiti and rubbish, the carnival will cover it up. One knows its not Summertown and nothing can be done !!!!!!!!!!

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Jewson Smithee says...
9:19am Sun 14 Mar 10

I just hope we don't have another town and gown riot. I live near a rough group of Brooks students who are intending to turn up and wind up Oxford University students. Apparently you need to lower you belt line and turn your collars up to avoid this torrent of toothy abuse. It's fast becoming like a suburb of L.A.

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Pierre My says...
2:07pm Mon 15 Mar 10

poppy721 wrote:
Cowley Road is just a dump full of graffiti and rubbish, the carnival will cover it up. One knows its not Summertown and nothing can be done !!!!!!!!!!
Quite right Poppy, tell it as it is girl.

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