Annual carnivals used to be big events in both Matlock and Matlock Bath. Almost everyone took part. The photograph here is of Matlock's Charity Carnival in 1936 when record numbers attended the various events and there were hopes for a profit of over £500. There were several band displays and performances during the day, a pageant of carnival queens and an evening dance at the Town Hall.

An excellent entry was received for the children's fancy dress parade on the Causeway-lane Ground in the afternoon and several competitors had travelled for some distance to take part^[1]. Parents had clearly gone to a good deal of trouble with the costumes and the children were divided into age groups. There were first, second and third place prizes for both boys and girls up to seven years of age, for boys and girls over seven, a children's comic costume award for those under 14 and an Open Fancy dress award. Whilst it isn't clear who the little girl holding the second place certificate was dressed as, the girl half shown on the right, holding a First Prize certificate for the under 7 girls, was Barbara Haill of Darley Dale for "Rhapsody in Blue"^[1].

Barbara Bagshaw of Barnard Terrace received a cup for the prettiest girl. The gentleman who presented the cup was Mr R. N. Rothwell, the manager of the Co-op and donor of the cup. The young man in the cap, right in the centre of the photograph, is Norman Ash. The boy standing next to Norman, peering between the two ladies immediately behind Barbara Bagshaw and, like Norman, wearing a cap, is Raymond Wilson, his best friend and the person whom Norman named his son after.

You may like to view more onsite information:
Photograph of Matlock Bath's 1947 Carnival Queen is onsite in an article about one of Matlock's photographers, Harry Gill.

References:

^[1] "Derby Daily Telegraph", Monday 21 September 1936.