It's Notting Hill Carnival time tomorrow - shopowners have boarded up their shops, homeowners have boarded up their homes and the police are employing more knife-detecting devices than ever before in an attempt to keep the one million expected carnival-goers in one piece (or a million pieces, depending how you look at it).
I hope it all goes well and I hope everybody remains safe and has a good time.
I love Notting Hill Carnival, don't you?
We're jammin', we're jammin'! 
The carnival is in full swing!
Here we have an urban warrior:
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And there's even a Bernie Clifton tribute act:
All right at the front?
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All right at the back?
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She's a bobby dazzler - a veritable bird of paradise!
There were about 100 arrests on the first day of this year's carnival and about 250 on the second. Many of the alleged offences were not what most of us might describe as particularly serious in the overall scheme of things.
Considering the number of revellers in attendance over the two-day event and considering the high crime levels already prevalent in London, I think it might be said that the carnival-goers were, except for a tiny minority, remarkably well-behaved.
Party on, dudes!
The Notting Hill Carnival is essentially a celebration of Caribbean culture.
The snag is, of course, that because it's in London it's rarely enjoyed under Caribbean weather conditions.
That's all changed this year as the temperature in the Caribbean over the past two days has varied between 80°F and 90°F depending on exact location. The temperature in London today was 91°F.
Accordingly, this year's carnival was probably the most authentic ever!
You do seem to be bending over backwards to not appear racist!
Quote: Chappers @ 27th August 2019, 8:30 PMYou do seem to be bending over backwards to not appear racist!
As I write these words, I'm watching Dave Chappelle on TV.
Of course, an incorrigible cynic may suspect that as soon as I feel that enough people have looked through my living room window and seen what I'm watching, I'll be ditching Dave and cackling with evil glee as I open my VHS box set of "Bernard Manning at the Embassy Club".
It's a funny old world!
Quote: Chappers @ 27th August 2019, 8:30 PMYou do seem to be bending over backwards to not appear racist!
Yes, rather noticeable, and why are his posts always so hysterically funny? Or is he just laughing at his own "jokes" 'cos I can never see what is funny in them.
He thinks he is cleverly extracting the Michael.
Sad sign of the times that so many businesses and residents leave the area for the duration. At a time when the shops should be profiting from the extra foot fall the risks outweigh the benefits.
Quote: Definitely Tarby @ 28th August 2019, 7:15 PMSad sign of the times that so many businesses and residents leave the area for the duration. At a time when the shops should be profiting from the extra foot fall the risks outweigh the benefits.
That's not new though. They've been evacuating the area for years because there has always been trouble there.