I thought I’d continue sharing the hugely popular 80s archive images today and the real treat from the immense Gerald Reece collection this weekend consists of this set from Gerald’s collection but actually taken by his son, Gary for a local authority project in 1988.
This gallery shows the setting out and the progress of the Brownhills Carnival procession in 1988 which I believe left from the Maybrook Industrial Estate and headed to Holland Park. Not sure of the exact route.
There are very clear pictures here of a carnival in it’s heyday, that sit well alongside Peter Booth’s set from the late 1970s, the Roy Craddock 1972 carnival set recently featured here via Peter Booth and also the 1934 film by Edgar Pritchard. There is of course also material from old pals of the blog Dawn Hayton and several great posts from Lisa Ashby.
I feel sure there must be loads of people you folk will recognise here – and people must recognise the cCarnival Queen and her attendants. The fashions are so late 80s!
These remarkable images have been very generously supplied by the great local historian himself, and beautifuly scanned by the wonderful David Evans for blog readers to enjoy.
I thank Gerald and David for yet another remarkable set – you are a very wonderful and generous gentlemen.
The donor of these remarkable images, Gerald Reece is of course a talented and superlative local historian, indeed now resident in Devon, who wrote the seminal work ‘Brownhills – A walk into history’ upon which this blog stands.
What do you recall from this gallery? If you have any thoughts or questions, please do share them – comment here, find me on social media or mail me: BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks.

Hi Bob
many thanks to Gerald and Gary for these photos and for your fine presentation. One carnival procession that stands out was when “Amy Turtle” was the famous personality , riding majestically in a Rolls Royce limousine perhaps…and seemingly full of .erm..hospitality …
kind regards
David
Hello,
Who taken the photograph of the Leigh Environmental vehicle please?
I would love very much to obtain a copy of the photograph.
Can you help assist me please?
Kind regards,
Timothy Byrne.