That was the Way to Do It!
Punch and Judy were pleasing the crowds with their antics at Tudor Grange Park on Saturday 4th September 2021, this was the last time we ran the Carnival, when they were guests of honour at the Solihull Lions Carnival, if you got there early you might even have seen them three times during that afternoon.
With an official Opening by the then Mayor of Solihull Councillor Ken Meeson, the event always sought to promote the public image of the Lions with our aim of raising lots and lots of money to support local charities and needy causes.
If you enjoyed excitement there was lots of non-stop, thrill-a-minute entertainment with some sensational stunts that the crowd really enjoyed. There were some brilliantly funny audience participations, knockabout comedy, crazy balancing and thrilling fire-juggling finale too. It’s was all good family fun, a real crowd pleaser!
Also at the Carnival was Van Buren who brought his Magical Illusion and Variety show which was a unique mix of the visually highly entertaining and magically baffling, it was guaranteed to grab the attention of the crowds and was super entertainment again for the whole family. This show had appeal for children, teenagers, adults and even the older generation too. You were left wondering “just how was it all done?” This act was crammed with magic, illusions, juggling skills, comedy, escapology, audience participation and a few surprises along the way.
If by any chance you saw a Penny Farthing converted into a bi-plane or possibly a bi-plane converted into a Penny Farthing then this was none other than our clown prince Roger Blighty, when he came into land. His on board sound system played all the right tunes (Ride of the Valkyries etc.) and has all the biplane sound effects like fly-bys and crash landings, plus a heap of comedy sounds like train horns and car alarms. It really was good family fun. He was flying round the park all afternoon, and might have landed near you.
Entertaining the crowds from the stage were the famous local dancing stars the Phillipa School of Dance. This was a not to be missed family treat. Admission was free but the public were asked to be generous with their donations for some very good local causes.
Did you see Mr. Punch? He was behind you!
The carnival was sponsored by Willson’s Fun Fair and by Coversure Insurance Services, who you can still check out at www.coversure.co.uk
Sadly, we no longer run the Solihull Carnival due to manpower and logistical issues.
