MEMBERS of Wellington Carnival and Wellington Majorettes have experienced a very different kind of carnival in Torres Vedras, Wellington’s twin town in Portugal.

While carnival in Wellington lasts an hour-and-a-half, carnival in Torres Vedras goes on an entire week. The carnival in Portugal attracts a paying audience of 350,000 taking part and watching, and another 150,000 participating in their own carnivals in different parts of the town – something is going on 24 hours a day.

The population of Torres Vedras is just 30,000 but carnival is so successful it is attracting people from France, England, Switzerland and throughout Portugal.

The cultural exchange involved a full itinerary of activities including school visits, local sites of historic interest and taking part in a number of carnivals throughout the stay.

Members of the carnival and majorettes visited last year and this year were joined by leaders of French majorette troupe Rochal Twirl, who took part in Wellington Carnival in 2016. The French visitors were keen to see if it would be possible to take their troupe to the event in 2018.

The trip also included visits to Portugal’s capital Lisbon, a waterwheel museum in the nearby resort of Santa Cruz and attendance at a formal civic lunch hosted by the Mayor of Torres Vedras.

During the lunch, the Mayor announced he had authorised 15 band members of Rufos e Roncos band from Padre Vitor Melcias School to travel to Wellington in September 2017 to take part in the town’s carnival.

The party from Wellington say they intend to reciprocate the fantastic hospitality shown by the Portuguese during their visit.

DAVE RYLATT