Fun Was King at the Mardi Gras

Trafalgar Street can be a pretty busy place, but very seldom does it hold 11,000 revellers packed between Hardy and Bridge Streets. Yet this was the crowd which attended the Nelson Jaycees' holiday feature, the Mardi Gras. From two stages, at Hardy Street and in front of Wright Stephenson's store, the huge crowd was kept entertained throughout the evening and many hundreds made their own fun. Main event of the evening, the firing of the human cannonball, was a huge success, even if the aimer did veer slightly from his target.

The big bang as the human cannonball did his very quick trip up Trafalgar Street

Unfortunately the aim wasn't true and he ended up stuck to a building

Winners of the fancy dress, Madame Plumpadour and her Three Tall Tails

King for a night. Johnny Shearer chats to two of his small subjects

John Harvey, flendish-looking surgeon, who won first prize for an individual, with two of his victims

Three handsome sheiks on the prowl

Maybe they were looking for this harem of All Kanhavem

Costumes were many and varied

Injuns on the funpath

A group of nurses, equipped for anything

These four went really high hat

Another excellent group: Cleopatra, Mark Antony and sundry servants

This wog isn't selling feelthy, postcards, just inviting the crowd to "'ave a go".

"Les Ghouls", second prize winners in the fancy dress contest

Dressed for revelry

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The Nelson Photo News

No 27 : February 2, 1963

Fun Was King at the Mardi Gras