Notting Hill Carnival: Day One In Pictures

(Orhan)

Fears that the "credit crunch" would cramp Carnival style, would seem to have been unfounded as around 250,000 people turned out to revel in the Children's Day Parade yesterday. There was a year on year increase in arrests with 98 people nicked and 7 pit bull type dogs confiscated but police were keen to stress this was a result of "proactive policing" rather than an increase in criminal activity. Carnival spirit appeared to be on fine form (fuelled by post-Olympic fever?) and Boris is gutted he can't make it back from Beijing to ululate as he loves to but we're sure that the hundreds of thousands expected to party in West London's streets this afternoon, will survive without him, inspite of indifferent Bank Holiday Monday weather.

Full Carnival information here.

Many thanks to our Flickrpool photographers Orhan Tsolak, Natalie Ujuk and Kayode Okeyode.