Godiva Carnival Procession passing Top Green

Image: © E Gammie Taken: 14 Jul 2007

The procession has come from the city centre and is heading up Warwick Road to the nearby Memorial Park to join the Godiva Festival. In the foreground is an old drinking fountain ( Image ). The Godiva procession has origins in the legend which became associated with the 11th century benefactress of the city, Lady Godiva, who was supposed to have ridden naked through the city to obtain relief of the burden of taxes levied on the citizens by her husband Earl Leofric. The processions began in 1678 and have continued intermittently since, reaching a peak of popularity in the 19th century. During the second half of the 20th century the Godiva aspect was lost to become Coventry Carnival and eventually, with the loss of the large firms and their apprentice schools, became little more than a series of advertising floats and fizzled out. In 1997 the Godiva procession was revived and in 2000 Coventry Carnival returned with arts group inspired costumes and tableaux. In 2003 the two combined to become the Godiva Carnival Procession which is associated with the three day Godiva Festival held in the Memorial Park. The theme of the 2007 procession was the history of Carnival.

Images are licensed for reuse under creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0