Deon P. Green, Gleaner Writer

A few of the revellers during the Children's Day Parade at London's Notting Hill Carnival, in the United Kingdom, yesterday. - Photo by Colin Patterson

NOTTING HILL, London:

The London Metropolitan police are keeping a tight lid on weapons at the Notting Hill Carnival, which got under way here yesterday.

The festival has been incident-free and going according to plan, the organiser said up to late yesterday. The carnival, held each August Bank Holiday since 1966, is the largest celebration of its kind in Europe.

The event started as a local festival set-up by the West Indian immigrants of the area and has now become a full-blooded Caribbean carnival, attracting millions of visitors from around the world. With scores of massive sound systems, many spectacular floats and the traditional steel drum bands, plus hundreds of stalls lining the streets.

One director of the carnival, Trinidadian Lewis Benn, was delighted with the proceedings so far.

"Everything is going well, the kids started the carnival in a positive mood; we are looking forward to a fantastic bank holiday weekend as the weather is great and, while we have no immediate estimate of the crowd, from what I can see, we are living up to expectations," Mr. Benn told The Gleaner.

The carnival has maintained its images of bright, outlandish costumes, imaginative floats and dancing on the streets. The carnival parade winds through three miles of Notting Hill's major streets. The event began with the Children's Day Parade while today is the main parade day - with groups from as far as South America, Africa and the Caribbean, bringing music, dance and costume to the area in spectacular style.