A FIVE-METRE tall mechanical puppet made from wheelie bins, a dinosaur and a firebird wandered the roads of South Reading on Sunday afternoon.
These impressive creations were joined by hundreds of representatives from arts clubs, schools, performance groups and members of the public for the inaugural Whitley Carnival.
Two parades, starting from Reading Girls’ School and Ridgeway Primary School, met at John Madejski Academy, where visitors were treated to an action-packed fun day.
Organised by charities Aspire 2 and the Whitley Community Development Association, the event looked to showcase the best the ward has to offer, and did so on what proved to be a warm afternoon – which just missed the evening showers.
Newly-appointed Mayor of Reading Tony Page was in attendance, alongside Reading East MP Matt Rodda and Whitley councillors Alice Mpofu-Coles and Micky Leng.
Cllr Page said: “It’s very important for communities like Whitley to have the opportunity for everybody to come together and appreciate the diversity of talent that exists here.
“We’ve been gifted by the weather, it’s a bit humid, but great that it’s dry. Hopefully it will encourage thousands of people to come through.
“It’s very good to see the diversity in age and also in ethnicities that exist within Whitley. I’m delighted that, after many years attending it on and off, I’m able to in my mayoral capacity.”
At the fun day, food stalls, activities, games and information stands all contributed to a busy afternoon. Younger members of the community were able to flex their creative muscles for the Whitley’s Got Talent competition.
WCDA trustee Paul Childs explained: “Whitley CDA is the heart of Whitley. This [event] is just about bringing something back to the community, and bringing that feeling back.
“We’re rushed off our feet at the minute. We don’t have enough staff to cope with, we’re shocked at the number of people who have shown up.”
