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1996
Saturday 8th June 1996
Theme: "Fairytales & Fantasies"
Project: Braintree Opportunity Class
1996
Days
Events
Procession
Entry
Queen &
Court
Project &
Donations
Programme
Articles

View From The Field

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1996 Programme of Events (As Advertised)
  • 1.00 Floats form at Lakes Road
  • 2.00 Judging of Floats
  • 2.00 Sideshows Open at Meadowside
  • 2.30 Procession leaves Lakes Road
  • 3.30 Procession arrives at Meadowside
  • 4.00 Grand Opening by Carnival Queen
  • 4.00 Braintree Dimensions
  • 4.20 De Vere Show Corps
  • 4.40 The Blue Falcons Gym Team
  • 5.10 The Sponge Plunge
  • 5.25 Haverhill Majorettes
  • 5.45 The Cardinals Drum & Bugle Corps
  • 6.00 The Scout and Guide Band
  • 6.20 The Blue Falcons Gym Team
  • 6.45 The Sponge Plunge
  • 7.15 Wrestling
  • 8.00 Live Group - Automatic Slim
  • 9.15 Grand Draw
  • 9.30 Live Group - Automatic Slim
  • 10.30 Good Night

Other Attractions

  • Steam Gallopers
  • Dive Bomber
  • Big Wheel
  • The Round Up
  • Magician
  • Playbus
  • Side Shows
  • New this year - Doc Spinoff

Top
1996 Street Procession Entries and Winners
Class 1a
Veteran Vehicles
> Mike Allard
Class 2a Voluntary Organisations (under 30ft) > Mid Essex Alzheimers Disease Society
> P A Music Promotions
> Project 2000
> 1st Bocking St. Peters Brownies
> 1st Bocking St. Peters Guides
> Maldon and District Rotaserv
> BMX Club
Class 2b
Voluntary Organisations (over 30ft)
> Air Training Corps 158 squadron
> Farleigh Hospice Braintree Fundraiser's
> Braintree Youth and Mini Rugby Club
> 1st Braintree Scouts
> 1st, 2nd & 7th Braintree Brownies
> Braintree Rotaract
> Braintree Auto Club
> Christchurch Youth Club
> Braintree District Scouts
Class 3 Commercial & Industrial Firms > T M Cars
Class 4
Dancing Schools and Playgroups
> Goldingham Drive Pre-School
> Peapods Childcare
> Bumbles Playgroup
Class 5
Any other Public Houses, Action or Street Groups, Individuals
> Lord Rayleigh Dairies
> The Orange Tree Public House
> Bocking End Congregational Church
Class 6
Riding Schools, Pony Clubs, Harness Horses
> Mrs. Dedman
Class 7
Visiting Queens
 
Chairman's Cup  
Windows Display Competition  

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1996 Carnival Queen and Attendants
1996 Queen & Court
Jaime O'Donnell, Carnival Queen

I have really enjoyed myself over the last year and would like to thank Pat, Robert, Tom and Betty for looking after us all - and everyone who turned up to support us and help out throughout the year.

I wish the 1997 Carnival Queen and Princesses the best of luck and hope the procession raises lots of money for good causes.

Stacey Murray, Carnival Princess

I've had a great time being Carnival Princess during the year, going to lots of places and having lots of fun. I hope this years Princesses have as much fun as me.

Thanks to everyone who looked after me and to Pat for making a lovely dress.

Harriet Darby, Carnival Princess

I have had great fun being a Princess. Thank you Pat, Robert, Tom and all the people who have taken me to Carnivals and fetes. I have had a wonderful year as Carnival Princess for 1996.


Top
1996 Project and Donations
Oportunity Class

The collection during the 1996 Procession raised in excess of £1,050 which figure was subsequently 'bumped up' by various donations from participants in the September sponsored walk.

A number of applications were received for assistance including one from the Braintree Opportunity Class.

Upon closer inspection this was found to be a small band of devoted adults providing a vital service to the benefit of the children they cater for as well as their parents.

Your contributions enabled us to provide the Group with over £1,150 for much needed equipment.


Top
1996 Programme Article - Duffers Guide to Technospeak

I thought I had worked it out this year. No more missed deadlines. No more last minute telephone calls from the chairman demanding a finished article. No more sleepless nights fretting over the subject matter. This year I was going to finish on time.

I sat down to write it just a week after last years Carnival. To be absolutely precise it was a week and one day as it was Fathers Day (I almost remembered to send a card as well). I was going to write something, I was going to be ahead of schedule, it was going to be good, I would have the population of Braintree rolling in their living rooms. Publishing giants would read the article and start offering me serious sums of money to write articles for their magazine / newspaper / journal / obituary. Jeffrey Archer would ring me up and ask me to ghost write his next best seller. Well, ok life wasn't going to be perfect.

To cap it all, I had my shiny new Computer to assist me. Great I thought, the article would take no time at all. Also, there would be all sorts of other items such as competitions, adverts, posters, signs, you name it I had it all worked out. Then there would be that novel I have always promised to write (as well as the one for Mr Archer). Letters to family and friends, get my accounts in order, basically it was going to change my life. Did it heck as like, all it has become is another distraction from tackling that 'things to do' list. However, this is now a hi-tech computerised 'things to do' list so there has been some progress.

On goes the machine but before starting the article I just have time to try that new CD ROM from the latest magazine. So I then spend two hours installing and trying a batch of completely useless software. Spend the next hour deleting the software from a rapidly filling hard disk.

However, although most of these software packages are completely useless, one or two have remained in place. Unfortunately, some of these could be termed what is commonly known in the IT (Information Technology) business as "games". Naturally, being an IT professional, I never play games but instead utilise my spare time in a far more productive manner. Obviously, I have to keep abreast of new developments so occasionally have to try out a wide range of software products for, a) to see what all the fuss is about b) to join in the talk at work and c) to shoot the cr*p (censored for the under 12 audience) out of a group of computer generated aliens.

Now it is slowly occurring to me that I may be losing some of you out there and if I carry on with the original idea for this ramble, could end up losing you all. Therefore, perhaps a glossary of terms used and about to be used is in order. So here goes:

IT Information Technology (easy one that)
PC Politically Correct or Personal Computer - take your pick
Hardware The physical stuff that makes up the computer.
CPU Central Processing Unit. Comes in many flavours including 386, 486, Pentium etc. This firstly ensures that the layman (you) doesn't have a clue what the salesman (them) is talking about. A speed is then slapped on i.e. 66, 75, 90, 100, 133 150MHz and more. Generally, the bigger the processor and the higher the MHz rating, the quicker the machine. Obviously it's not quite as simple as this. Confused, well that's probably how the manufactures want us to be. This could go on forever so let's move on.
Software Contained within the hardware but it's not soft.
Hard Disk Big sort of magnet type thing used to store your files (data) on.
Files Your data. Think about paper files, they are similar but completely different.
Memory How the computer remembers stuff whilst it is switched on, the more the better. Usually termed as RAM. (No bad jokes about sheep so stop sniggering.)
CD ROM Just the same as a music CD, but it holds data files for your computer to use. Another good reason to go out and buy those shiny pieces of plastic.
Sound Card A device which gives your games sound effects.
Internet Shrouded in mystery and hype concerning the alleged excess of pornographic material available. However, what really upsets most people is whilst 'little Johnny' is merrily 'surfing the net'. Ma and Pa are still struggling with locating the on/off switch.
Windows Graphical User Interface (GUI) filling your screen with little pictures ensuring you lose all your files and work far more efficiently.
Windows 95 New 32bit version of Windows. If you believe Microsoft it even cleans you teeth and washes behind yours ears for you.
32bit Code (software) that's twice as big as 16bit and therefore runs quicker on you spanking new Pentium computers.
16bit Half the size of 32bit (obvious really).
Byte 8 bits - honest.
Bit I don't know, I only use the things.
Nibble 4 bits or half a byte or some joke by an early computer buff - take your pick.
Modem Expensive unit designed to imitate the sound of a disconnected telephone. Essential for connecting to the Internet.
Baud (Pronounced either Bawd or Bored) which is what I am with this list.
Well there you have it. Naturally the article was late and it was even too long so this was the cut down version. (All the best bits were cut out.) Perhaps we can continue with it next year. Then again perhaps not.