Notting Hill Carnival

Today a bunch of us decided to go to the notting hill carnival. It was sold to us as the mardi gras of UK and as it was the same suburb the movie was also filmed at we thought this was bound to be a good mix.
I told my friends I would meet them at notting hill (Mistake no. 1). I got on the train at 1pm for said event and just before the notting hill station- they made an anouncement that they wouldn't be stopping there due to overcrowding.
So the train stopped at the next station down- the platform was more crowded than the train (and the train was so crowded i was squashed between 2 armpits).
I made the foolish decision to get off onto the platform and the crowd carried me along at snail pace. We were then given an option of 200 stairs or lifts to get out of the underground station. I was carried along with all the young, able-bodied to the stairs.
Now, after my rwandan trekking- 200 stairs is nothing much. But it was in a tiny space with another 1000 ppl trying to climb the same stairs.
I survived.
Anyway, after gloating about all the wonders of the UK I definately will have to make a post on the not so good things. While a train every 3 mins is amazing- if there is congestion at one stop- it makes it very complicated.

 The carnival itself- amazing. It was in no way the order and control of festivals in Australia. In my short experience I have found that in the UK ppl get away with drinking on the streets and even pubs spill out onto streets and it is completely fine. Add to this, much cheaper alcohol and the carnival was a raving party.

There was a huge parade through the middle which was essentially celebrating the caribbeans and had colourful floats, with hundreds of (rauncy)dancers and incredible DJs.
So really I had no idea why so many families had come. It was really not something I would want my 3yr old to see.

I have attached some photos which are hilarious because the setting is this posh, expensive british neighbourhood where all this fun and friviloty occured. The noise was deafening- again why bring babies in prams?!
I also finally got my satisfaction for street food with Kigali the most unAfrican state ever, having banned street food.

Mistake no. 2: telling my friends I'd meet them at a carnival
Mistake no. 3: spending so much money at harrods that you have no money for phone credit.  But lets not rant about that