Out with a splash! Head’s final carnival

THE out-going Headteacher of John Hampden Primary School, Thame, lead his ‘crew’ through the centre of  the town for the last time today,  to the stirring sound of the theme music to the film, Pirate’s of the Caribbean.

Alan Haigh leads his ‘crew’ in today’s carnival procession through Thame

As the drizzle relentlessly descended, Alan Haigh, who is retiring from teaching at Christmas, nevertheless went ‘out with a splash’ as he cheerfully waved to well-wishing on-lookers, some sheltering under umbrellas and others determinedly ignoring the weather and making the best of it as the people of Thame always do.

Other entries in the carnival, themed this year around ‘The Movies’, included Frozen, Lego the Movie, Lion King, The Wizard of Oz and Hairspray – all equally as cheerfully and bravely in some cases, displaying a true, carnival spirit despite the weather.

The Mayor of Thame, Nichola Dixon, helped by the new Town Clerk, Graham Hunt, cut the ribbon to declare the start of Carnival 2015, and after much deliberation, declared John Hampden School and Tetsworth School (apologies for reporting it was ‘Tiddington’ earlier), joint winners of the Carnival Cup.  But the winners’ good fortune came at a price – they have to go and search and find this coveted treasure themselves, for the cup seems to have gone missing and is proving difficult to trace. So, whichever school manages to track down who has the Thame Carnival Cup, will get to keep it in their school’s trophy cupboard – just until next year.

Follow the LINK to see pictures of today’s Carnival procession. (More about the Carnival Fete tomorrow)