Hottest June on records while thunderstorm forecast aligned to Buxton Carnival and impacted the tourist numbers. Spa Town Carnival tradition of blessing the Spa water, Dressing the Wells, hanging the bunting and dancing into the sunshine makes Buxton Carnival the focus of the summer Peak District events. The Bagshaw Chelmorton red tractor was given the special treatment cleaned, polished and sparkling, the flatbed trailer cabled up with the Just Bloody Loud, JBL sound speakers. Traditional square hay bales from Mark Gould built like Lego bricks in a wall of fun from which Elvis waves. What do you call a pack of Elvis’s? Amazing! Onboard and ready to wave as the Buxton Carnival awaits the entry of the King. Wild red hair for the tractor driver in a red tractor.

The 2023 build team were the dream team, top draw crew with pit stop speed and efficiency had the village float ready in double quick time. Elvis of all shapes and size join the Chelmorton float. Hound Dog playing loud in Main Street as Elvis young and old danced the linear village. Elvis 84 to Elvis nine years old from Chelmorton Tennessee, manoeuvred the Brielow Bar grass taking up position next to the Carnival sign for what has become a super cool tradition of first photo for the Chelmorton web.

Grey sky holding, the traditional tractor run into town, By B&Q the queue of cars following Elvis was ten miles long. Past the new Aldi, up the hill in a single gear, Cottage Hospital starboard side. Special moment to Haddon Hall Care Home for a full rendition track of Elvis for the young residents who could not make it to the carnival route. Around the Devonshire Dome into the carnival holding area. Two mighty steam tractors arrived behind Chelmorton Elvis entry. Jason the Buxton Newspaper photographer arrived for the stage shoot adding to the many years of the Elvis photo gallery.

Carnival Parade proper, ‘Start your engines’ this wasn’t the F1, Elvis had to pull the generator cord a thousand times before someone turned the fuel tap on and it roared into an electrifying crescendo. Down the hill to the Railway Station, Spring Gardens, wall to wall tourists, Elvis rang out proper loud, naming the shops from Boots to Costa, Mountain Warehouse to Clarkes shoe shop before Greggs stepped out and handed free sausage rolls to Elvis and naming Hargreaves as best dressed shop front. Big turn for the slopes, the tourists went wild. ‘Put your arms in the air for Elvis’ Slopes from top to bottom raised their arms in applause. More to come, put your hands together for the marshals, applause loud as you like. Alongside the Thai Restaurant, following the route to Dominoes. The red tractor turned right down the wrong side of the roundabout to visit every last tourist. Swimming pool, port side for another big corner turnout at Burlington Road. Down past the care homes, Hawthornes waved wild as Elvis Andy sang louder than loud of all Carnivals. Women of an older age grabbed all of him for carnival hugs. West Road has become the most engaged street on the route as house parties team up for carnival. The West Road Arms party delivered Elvis the goods with free beer.

All left, port side, for one last major corner, applause loud, arms in the air. Four pubs to the Queens Arms, rowdy and loud as Elvis changed tempo for YMCA. meeting Mr Holland at the funfair, smell of candy floss in the air as whizzers and spinners took a look at the breakfast from earlier. Thunderstorms had clearly impacted the tourist turn out, but the carnival was dry-ish, Elvis evening trip to the funfair, that’s another diary, but yes the thunderstorm finally arrived. It was wet!

Get set for 2024, it will be a decade of dedicated Elvis Chelmorton entry, the summer date for 2024 is July 13th

Red hair for the Chelmorotn tractor driver