Fleet & District Carnival 2007 - Fleet, Hampshire

Fleet Carnival is widely regarded as being one of the biggest and best in the south. It brings together members of the community from every age-group, and provides something for everyone in a fun-filled week in July.

The Fleet Carnival of today is very different from its early beginnings. Smaller one-day carnivals were first held in the early years of the twentieth century to raise much needed funds for the Fleet Cottage Hospital. The processions were much smaller than today's: they started at the railway station and went along Fleet Road to the Oatsheaf pub, down Reading Road South and on to the field at Court Moor House. The 1939 carnival was the last one of that era and the town had to wait for many years to see another.

In 1955 a meeting was held and the then Chamber of Trade put forward the idea of resurrecting a carnival for Fleet. The one-day carnivals had always been very popular and it was suggested that the new committee should try to raise sufficient local interest to start a carnival lasting a whole week.

The first of the modern-day carnivals was held in the summer of 1956 on the Firs Meadow in Crookham Road, where the police station now stands. The special guest was the world light heavyweight boxing champion, Freddie Mills, and the event was a great success, Community spirit was very strong and the whole town took part.

Over the years fashions change and each year the committee of the day works hard to organise events to suit current trends.

Fleet Carnival 2007

More information can be found here: www.fleetcarnival.co.uk

Past Years

:: Fleet Carnival 2005

:: Fleet Carnival 2005 News