Doddington Village Sports and Carnival Blog

Bit of behind the scenes website work-in-progress for you? Ok. So, I wanted to make a bit of a ‘thing’ about the Trophies, Shields and Awards that we hand out each year, and wanted them all to appear on the website. All Awards that we give out to the Winners and Runner-ups on Doddington Village Sports and Carnival. At present, we list the various awards and their respective winners, but I wanted to have a little extra … something for each one. So, just as we were setting up for the Awards Presentation evening, in September 2008, I took my camera along to the Village Hall, and took the opportunity to photograph (to the best of my ability!!) each and every Award. I used one of those fabric-based pop-up studio-style photo boxes, (bit like this one  =>) such that the background on each trophy was white and therefore easier to use on the website. However, as I might have hinted at, I’m not a photographer and far from knowing what I’m doing with a photo studio!  Either way, I t...

Come and join our brand NEW email NEWSLETTER! No, it’s not more SPAM for your mailbox, but more a summary version of what’s going on within the Doddington Village Sports and Carnival. The aim is to send out an email about once per month , giving you news and updates as to what events are happening and when. It’s free to signup, and you can unsubscribe at any time! TO SIGNUP NOW , simply go to the Doddington Carnival website, at www.doddingtoncarnival.co.uk , and scroll down to the Newsletter section.  There’s a couple of details to add, and a confirmation email to click a link on. And that’s it! GDPR? In terms of the personal data that we’re asking of you for the Newsletter, it’s: Email Address Your name We won’t sell your details, nor share them with anyone else. We promise.

The Doddington Village Sports and Carnival’s first (ever!) Race Night With a Twist has come and gone! We had a great evening of entertainment, betting and posing with hobby horses! Everyone who came had a thoroughbred of an evening, leaving some guests a little ‘horse’! Here’s a few of the photos that we’ve taken on the evening, where you can see the ‘Jockeys’ lined up on the game board, awaiting the roll of the fateful dice.  We’re hoping to stage another Race Night With a Twist, as it really was one that ran away with us! To add to everything, all ‘Jockeys’ in all races were given a free gift of a t-shirt, courtesy of Sewlo Embroidery , based in Doddington. All in all, a brilliant evening, thanks to everyone that came along, as well as to everyone that helped to get it up and running. Fantastic effort.

Every year, we’re always asked if there are any jobs that people can chip in to help us with, and each year – jobs like helping out on the day of the carnival, helping to set-up the field, or to take it all down again.  In our Carnival Committee meetings, we always talk about getting a Jobs List up on the website ahead of time, and each year, we don’t get around to do it. It’s not that we’re forgetful , or don’t care about it – we do. It’s just that with busy working lives, children and other ‘life stuff’, it gets… prioritised… at the bottom of the list!  But now, we’ve done it!  We’ve started a Jobs List on the Doddington Carnival website where you can check-out what help we need and throw your name into the ring to help! We’ve got the Race Night with a Twist coming up very soon, and there’s a job or two on there already for that (but there will be more!!) and then we’re into the preparations for the big events in July! So please, have a look! Get in touch , ideally ...

Question: ”Would you like to not only help the Doddington Village Sports and Carnival, but also help the WHOLE OF THE INTERNET ?” Well, now you can, and from the comfort of your own home! Here’s what we mean.  We’ve noticed that there’s a piece of internet history that’s currently missing on the following Wikipedia page: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doddington,_Cambridgeshire …namely, the part about the Doddington Village Sports and Carnival! In case you’re not in the know, here’s a quick link to what Wikipedia is and what it’s all about: Wikipedia: Introduction . Now, according to Wikipedia’s rules, we’re not allowed to add this missing piece, as we’re ‘too close to the subject’, meaning that as we’re part of the Carnival Committee, we’re not best placed to add to Wikipedia, as we’d be biased writing about the work that we do, and the fun and enjoyment that we all get back from it. BUT YOU CAN! So, here’s your task: Add the Doddington Village Spo...

A s we in the Carnival Committee are getting ready for the Santa Run 2018 (which is on the 7th, 8th and 9th of December!) I thought I’d share a little about what’s happening from a geeky / IT-perspective. A couple of years ago , a very-last-minute idea popped into my head about us being able to have you, the good folk of Doddington, track our location as we crawl around the village with Santa and his Sleigh, and we managed to get it to work in time.  A little rough around the edges maybe, but nonetheless, we had a working GPS tracking system.  When I say ‘rough’, I mean it wasn’t as brilliant as I had hoped that it would have been, but hey, it worked to a fashion. Last year , we managed to get a live video stream working via Facebook Live, so that, again, the good folk of Doddington, could see what was happening on the Sleigh, whether it was before or after we’ve been around to your houses. THIS YEAR… we’re pushing the boundaries of previous years, building on previous effort...

Yes. We know. It’s still November, and now we’re about to drop the C word… C. H. R. I. S. T. M. A. S. And whilst you might be thinking that it’s a bit early for that sort of thing, we at the Doddington Carnival committee are already  getting into Christmas-mode.  We have to.  We’ve already been on the phone to the Big Man – Mr. S. Claus, that is - about his visit to Doddington early in December, and he’s really keen and upbeat about our little village. So, we’re trying to make sure that we’ll be ready for his arrival on the 7th, 8th AND 9th of December!! Several of the committee guys have been polishing-up Santa’s road-sleigh for him, and getting a few Christmas-y tunes on in preparation, as it really does take months to get sorted for it all. We’ve got routes to plan, and people to organise, and jolly health-and-safety plans to worry about. Posters and e-flyers to design/make/print/distribute. And whilst Santa can quickly zip along the Christmas line across the world, ou...

We’ve been busy again this year in getting a whole load of stalls for your shopping and browsing pleasure! There are sweet stalls, photography stalls face painters, burgers, hog roasts an more! In case you wanted to know who’s going to be there, well, here’s the list! 1st Doddington Guides 1st Doddington Rainbows 1st Doddington Scout Group Army Cadets Askham Village Community Beagles Explorer Scouts Cambridgeshire Fire & Rescue Service Community Champions Cartigan Jams, Chutneys & Preserves Doddington Christmas Lights Doddington Horticultural Society Doddington Model Club Doddington Recreation Committee Doddington Under 5s Emma's Frames and Make a Memory Photography Glitter Hair - Cystic Fibrosis Trust Greenvale iBaker/Boston Donuts Jester King Hog Roast Kelly's Sweet Creations Maggie's Henna Tattoo Party Sweet Cones & Tombola Perfect Shot Photography Pick-aaa-Book! StreetPride The WI Wills Wheels We hope you’ll call over to each of the stalls and see what games...

Whilst the Carnival is absolutely fabulous and it may feel like magic, it certainly doesn’t happen by accident.  The guys have been out in the blazing 30 degree sunshine getting the Sports Field on Benwick Road ready for the races on Saturday, but which shows dedication and effort! The weather forecast has changed ever so slightly for the weekend, but like Ernie here, you might still want to wear your hat!! Incidentally, we’d like to give Ernie a big shout-out and say thank you from us all for helping get the running track looking on top form for the weekend. Top man.

It's the Wednesday before Carnival-Saturday, and things may not look like they're moving at warp-speed, but from our perspective, it certainly is! Hopefully you’ve seen already, but The Scarecrows are out in force, with Ziggy Stardust, Harry Potter and even The Queen gracing our roadsides, to name but a few! It's great to see so many people joining in the fun, as it really kick-starts the whole thing.  Judging begins soon! Carnival preparations are coming to a head, which is both worrying and exciting, as this has taken months and months of thought, planning and pestering people by the carnival crew and (finally!) it's all now starting to pay-off.  This year’s Carnival Prince and Princess, Luke and Imogen, are getting set to play their part in the proceedings, and being driven around in their glamorous carriage! The Sports Field plans are also being finalised, as we're trying to keep a similar format to last year, but improve slightly on some of the aspects followin...

It’s coming up to that time of the year where we need to select  the Carnival Prince and Princess during the Family Disco.  These young folks are important to the traditions and values of the Carnival, going back donkeys years, and this year is no different. The Family Disco is also exactly as it sounds – a chance for the whole family to come out and boogey-woogey and enjoy themselves on the dancefloor. Applications for the Carnival Prince and Princess Selection are available from the folks in The Three Tuns , Doddington, so why not nip in there and pick up a form as you pass?   Alternatively, the forms are available on the Doddington Carnival website .  (All details are on the form itself.)

We blinked,  and 2017 came and went just as quickly! We had a great year in terms of the various events that we’ve put on throughout 2017, and we have no doubt that 2018 will be any different. In 2017, we had pub quizzes and discos, the Carnival and Sports Day, finishing it all off with the Santa Run.  2018 will see more of the same, but with a different twist, as we keep getting emails and Facebook messages to say that you all love what we’re doing, and the reading makes for some humbling feelings in and around the Carnival Committee.  Here’s but a few about the Carnival and Sports Day: "Thanks team loved it once again . This year bought back memories of childhood felt great lots of fun had . Water this year when I was a kid it was flour and eggs lol x" - Sarah Sellers (via Facebook) "Thank you and well done to the committee. Yesterday was another amazing day thanks to the commitment and hard work of volunteers. Such a brilliant day. Thank you x" -...

Some-how, I have been given the role of ‘the Naughty Elf’, which means that I was the one locked up in the back of the truck that pulls Santa’s Sleigh around the village.  (Although saying that, last night’s freezing temperatures made me quite glad I was the one stuck in there!) Essentially, my job during the Santa Run as ‘the Naughty Elf’, is to control the music and microphone levels through the powered amplifier in the back of the truck with me. Different Christmas music tracks need different volume adjustments, but also controlling Santa’s microphone is another job - I’m sure he waits until I’m least expecting a ‘Ho! Ho! HO!’ blast from him, and he catches me off-guard and the levels go through the roof! For years, and irrespective of where I’ve lived at the time, I’ve seen various Santa Sleighs taken around to see the boys and girls, and hadn’t given it too much of a thought about how it all works.  But since joining the Doddington Village Sports and Carnival committee a...

The Santa Run has already begun! Last night, we took Mr Claus out on his sleigh around the village to see the boys and girls! We had music a-playing, lights a-flashing and, rightly or wrongly, we gave Santa a microphone so that you could hear his mighty ‘Ho! Ho! Ho!’s from miles! miles! miles! away..! Lots of people came out to see us, despite the FREEZING temperatures last night, but we’re really glad that you all did.  Tonight, we’re starting out on Wood Street at 5:30pm, and making our way around more of the village, finishing off tomorrow evening.  But check out our website for full route details, Santa Tracking and also a LIVE video of our trip out! 100% of the money donated by you in all of our activities go directly to next year’s Carnival and Sports Day.  For more information, please check out the ‘Your donations’ section of our website .

Santa Claus is coming… to Doddington!! Well, we know that on Christmas Day Santa will be visiting EVERY house in the ENTIRE WORLD, but we’re talking specifically about him coming to visit the boys and girls of Doddington ahead of the big day, mostly to find out what everyone would like for Christmas. As mention in our previous blog post , we’ve booked him for a tour of Doddington on the 8th, 9th and 10th of December this year.  But here’s the thing… YOU CAN SEE WHERE SANTA IS, and find out how long it’ll be before he comes to your house!! How? Well… the kind elves have lent us one of Santa’s tracking units, and our Carnival IT-Geeks have attached this to our website, meaning that all you have to do, is go to the Doddington Carnival website ( www.doddingtoncarnival.co.uk ) on your computer, laptop, tablet or smart phone, and you’ll see a map of where Santa is right now!  As we drive him through the village, the map will auto-update and show his latest location! Magic!

Every year, we, at the Doddington Village Sports and Carnival committee, put in a call in with the Big Guy with the red suit and white beard, and ask him (very politely) if we could show him around Doddington, and do a little meet n’ greet with the Naughty and Nice children of the village. As always, he’s super-keen to make his presence heard with some very loud Christmassy anthems to get everyone into the holiday mood, and who are we to deny him? So, we’re already busy preparing the Sleigh, dotting the Christmas i’s and crossing the festive T’s, and generally getting ready for the Santa Run 2017 ! We’ll be publishing routes on telegraph poles. on our website and Facebook Page , etc, in more detail, but essentially, we’ll be showing Santa the sights on the following nights: Friday 8th December Saturday 9th December Sunday 10th December Keep an eye and ear out for us. And definitely come out and say hello to Santa!

We. LOVE. Doddington Diary! We do. We loved the old Doings, and we were sad to see it go. BUT NOW, a new team of ‘Newsletter Ninjas’ are picking-up their word processors, ripping old the old and cutting-out a new future for our village mutterings. With a team filled fill of (volunteer!) experts, the first newsletter is due out in November 2017, which we know everyone is excited about, so it’s not long until the Doddington Diary is a regular thing to land on your doormat. Their website is over at www.doddingtondiary.co.uk – PLEASE help support them – adverts, columns, jokes, gossips, whatever – send them in, as I’m sure that they’d love to hear from you!  Let’s all help them make a fantastic start to the new Doddington Diary!

Sounds strange to have a title of ‘Another year done!’, given that we’re only part-way through October, but in Carnival-years, we’re now into the planning of the next one! For us, our Annual General Meeting, held earlier this month, marks the end of one year and the start of another, which we’re planning on being even more fantastic than last year. This year. You get it. The committee has a couple of new folks and says goodbye to some others, but by and large, we’re good.  The ‘officers’ were re-voted and the same ugly mugs are in the same roles as this time last year, which is good not only from a consistency point of view, but also from the fact that the rest of the team think that things are working well enough to vote them back in. We’ll be unveiling the new theme for the 2018 Carnival very shortly, so that should get people’s thoughts flowing in terms of what to dress up as, or what floats will look like. But first up, is the Santa Run 2017 – we’ve spoken to the Big Man and he...

Another Carnival day has been and, quite quickly…. gone! That sounds like a very obvious thing to say, but having helped work on it for my first complete year now, it sort of sneaks up on you, and then dashes away again, until next year.  But then, having said that, there’s still lots of ‘stuff’ on my “to-do” list that I want and need to do, to tidy up from the weekend’s efforts.  For me, personally, I have: Winners details to put up onto the Doddington Carnival website Facebook posts to draft and send (and then Share, Share, SHARE!) Emails to thank stall holders (that I’ve been harrassing for weeks!) …and lots more. Lots of the others on Team Doddington have other things in their “to-do” lists, whether it’s counting this, folding and tidying that, etc.,  so the day might be over, but it’s not over-over yet. One of the post-Carnival-Day jobs that the village doesn’t see. Our chaps taking down the signs in the village… and still smiling! People I speak to about the Dodding...

So, don’t know if you’re aware, but the Doddington Village Sports and Carnival is on this weekend! The whole of the Carnival committee have been flat-out, getting ready for the big day. This is only my second year helping out, and I’m constantly amazed at the list of jobs that need doing, in order for a few lorries to drive slowly through the village, followed by a bunch of children running races in the afternoon. Obviously, there’s LOTS more to it than that, and that’s why the people of Doddington love the carnival as much we do.  In fact, we get visitors from Chatteris, March, Wimblington, Manea and more, all coming to the village and seeing what they’re missing out on, by living elsewhere!  We have a GREAT sense of community in this little village. But, sometimes we need help.  We know we make it look easy and all, but the truth is that it takes a lot of people to pull this all off, and that’s where you come in. If you want to help, even a little bit, just let us know....