In the last two months or so, London has been one party place what with the summer Olympics holding centrestage, but even in its aftermath the fun refuses to stop. For taking place now is Europe’s biggest street festival – the Notting Hill Carnival. Held over two days in August every year (Bank holiday and the day beforehand), it is a vibrant colourful festival led by the Caribbean community. Today the streets of Notting Hill will come alive with miles and miles of colourful costumes, more than a hundred Caribbean food stalls and over a million people from all around the world.

What started as a local festival in 1965 on the streets of Notting Hill by the West Indian community, has now become a full blooded Caribbean Carnival with fantastic floats and the quintessential steel drums and calypso music we have all known the men from the Caribbean for.

The grand parade will begin on Great Western Road, then weave its way through Chepstow Road, on to Westbourne Grove, and finally Ladbroke Grove.

If you are in London today, there is no better place to be at than the Notting Hill Carnival. As one man we spoke to eloquently informed us, “It’s bloody beautiful, lad!”