Exhibtion launch

The project volunteers and their guests at the opening of the Creation Of A Community final exhibition on 1^st Dec 2015 at Knutsford Archives.

Carnival Queens of Longridge and Shaw Heath

A short film about the experience of being Carnival Queen in Longridge and Shaw Heath.

Retiring Queen’s float, 1991

Retiring Queen Emma Joszkow (left), Emma Hoskins (centre, in off-shoulder dress), Bernadette Owen (right). Other girl, name unknown.

Photo courtesy of Mrs McCreanor.

Emma Joszkow, Carnival Queen 1990

Emma Jozkow and her retinue on the float

On the float

On the float, with flower girls, pageboys, and the Crown Bearer (in red hat)

On the float

Emma at the Birkin Centre…

…walking to the front to be crowned.

Emma is crowned Queen by unknown woman – probably a local councillor

Just after being crowned: Emma, and the Carnival Princess (far right) and their retinues, with their crown-bearers standing behind them

Emma and the Carnival Princess (name unknown) being photographed for the Knutsford Guardian

Emma Jozkow, Carnival Queen 1990, on her float on the way to the Birkin Centre; and at the Birkin Centre for the coronation ceremony. Unlike some previous years, the tradition seems to have changed, and Emma was not crowned by the retiring Queen from the year before, but by someone who we have not identified but who was possibly a local Councillor.

It is interesting that (last photo) the Queen and Princess were photographed by the Knutsford Guardian. By this time, the Longridge and Shaw Heath Carnival was regularly featured in the local paper; but in its early years, it was not covered at all.

Photos courtesy of Denise Comley.

Anne Comley, Carnival dressmaker, 1990

Anne Comley is the grandmother of Emma Joszkow, who was carnival queen in 1990. Anne made Emma’s dress, with the help of her daughter Lynn. The video shows Anne in 2015 at her house on Longridge, showing the dress and talking about how she made it.

The photos below show Anne with the dress; and, on the right, another carnival costume made by Anne, in around 1983 – the black Spanish Lady costume worn by the little girl at the front.

Video and 2015 photos taken by the Creation Of A Community project. 1983 photo courtesy of Denise Comley.

Before the Carnival, 1990

Emma Joszkow was Carnival Queen in 1990. The photos show her outside her decorated house on Longridge, before the start of the parade. She wears the dress that her grandma Anne Comley made for her (see more about it here) and the Queen’s red cloak. In the second picture, Emma is holding her nephew, Jordan.

Photos courtesy of Denise Comley.

Milk float, late 80s

Emma Joszkow and an unknown boy on a milk float in the Carnival parade, with children wearing Robin Hood-themed costumes following behind. The year is unknown, but it was before Emma was Queen in 1990; we have guessed at 1988.

Emma Jozkow said in an interview:

I’d been in it [the carnival] nearly all my life, really, from the age that I was allowed to go in it; I was various things, I think I was Lady in Waiting a couple of times, fairies, various characters… It was a big thing!

Photo courtesy of Denise Comley.

The Queen and her ladies, 1983

Carnival Queen Tracey Short and her entourage in about 1983, at the Birkin Centre after her coronation.

Back row, left to right: Julie Thomas (retiring Queen); Fiona Hay (crown bearer)

Middle row, left to right: Tracy Groves; Tracey Short (Queen); Nicola Brown

Front row left to right: Emma Joszkow; Louise Redfern; Nicky Wright; Summer Chappell; Maria Groves; Rachel Booth; Lisa Comley

Photo courtesy of Andrea Tubritt.