Carnival Queen Caroline Rixon with sponsor Mick Marshall and her attendants. |
The Kenilworth Carnival takes place on Saturday July 7th 2007.
This page brings you the build-up to the big day.
When new Miss Kenilworth Carnival Queen Caroline Rixon realised it was her last chance to fulfill a girlhood dream she leapt at the chance of entering the competition.
The degree-educated Leek Wootton resident, who works as an estate agent, had watched countless carnivals go past with her dad Simon since she was a four-year-old growing up in the town.
And when she glanced at the rules printed last month in the KWN, she suddenly realised that at the age of 25 it was now or never. But as she stood listening to her rivals stake their claim to judges at the Talisman Theatre last weekend, the ex-Kingsley School pupil admits she never thought it would be her heading the procession in its 75th year.
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Miss Rixon explained: "I didn't really know what the night was about or how big it was - I just thought that if you had entered you had to go to find out more. It was quite embarrassing because I was the last to go up in front off the judges, I didn't have any of my friends with me like the other entrants and I didn't have any idea what to say. I just told them how it was my last chance and I'd always wanted to do it and about how I remember going every year from when I was little, but I was really nervous. I couldn't believe it when I won.
"Kenilworth is one of the only towns still to have a traditional carnival and it's a big deal in our family. I like the idea of getting involved in something I might one day take my own daughter to. I just hope it goes better than the last time I was in the carnival.
"I was a daffodil with the Clarendon Nursery and I cried the whole way round."
Caroline, who lives with dentist dad Simon and legal executive mother Bev, is no stranger to representing thousands of people, having been crowned Miss Minorca in a holiday competition in 2002 - partly because she had been to the Balearic islands nine times in a row. The former honours student in tourism and business management is planning a gambling trip to Las Vegas and loves travel.
But wanderlust will deprive the gym enthusiast of one thing which would make her day complete. Sister Jess, 21, will not be able to watch her sibling's big moment because she will be working her way around Australia, New Zealand and America.
"I'm gutted she wont be there because she would have loved it," added Miss Rixon.
She was looking forward to representing the town at the lights switch on and the Boxing Day duck race. She hopes to progress in her career and eventually run an office of estate agents - and to settle down and have children, introducing a new generation to the carnival tradition.
This year's event takes place on July 7 and to mark the 75th edition all carnival queens of years gone by are invited to appear on a special float and attend a cream tea at the castle. Caroline Dealtry, 18 and Letitia Meaton, 15 will be Miss Rixon's attendants, with Marialle Bucci, eight, and Padua Eaton, ten, acting as flower girls. Page boys will be Ryan Finch, nine, and Alix Randle, seven.
View more pictures of carnival queen Caroline Rixon.
Carnival Queen 2007 - Caroline Rixon
Read more stories about previous Kenilworth Carnivals.
Rosalind Booden: The 'forgotten' carnival queen
Carnival Queen 1986
Old folks revel in town's carnival atmosphere
My challenge to every Weekly News reader: Don't let this marvellous event die!
Post-war spirit of town embodied in carnival
Guild ladies ready to take the plunge
Family get on its bike for carnival
A carnival atmosphere
Fancy that! All the fun of the 1949 carnival
Carnival float campaigns to keep railway station
Kenilworth Carnival in the 1920s
