Notting Hill

My first memory of Notting Hill Carnival is from 1995. I was five years old, had flowers painted on my face to match my favourite dress. It was my first memory of being there, though I had been already been a regular carnival-goer for the past four years. My mother recounts the story of sitting me on  her lap, aged 8 months, outside of our flat on Lancaster Road to experience what would be the  first of 25 carnivals, and counting.