In the shadow of Grenfell, we asked locals what Carnival means to them this year

“Things have changed quite dramatically in our area. Almost overnight my neighbourhood doesn’t feel the same… It feels dead, I can’t hear kids playing outside, I don’t see a lot of my neighbours in the block. It’s a ghost town and seeing the tower all burnt like that has made me feel sad. I have nightmares at night fearing for those at the top that didn’t make it.” She goes on to say that for her, Carnival doesn’t feel right this year. Understandably, she isn’t “in the mood to be happy and dance.”

It was for this reason that Greg Hands, the Tory MP of Chelsea and Fulham, ardently declared that it would be “inappropriate” for Carnival to be held this year. But as Lady Love told me, “Local Tories have called for Carnival to be moved, because of Grenfell. Before Grenfell they were calling for Carnival to be moved for other reasons. You could conclude that they are not Carnival and they don’t want it whatever the reason. This is why it’s more important than ever. We will not move, we will not be socially cleansed. We will come together, celebrate and pay tribute to those who were killed.”

Ms Corzo, also a resident of Lancaster West, speaks of the fear of social cleansing, remarking that “if you were to take away Carnival because of this [the fire], it would just play into what they want. The erosion of a community… And in a way that plays into the reason that Grenfell happened in the first place.” Another resident, who didn't want to be named, goes on to explain that “the community feels so let down by the state but they will not let the state rob them of anything further, Carnival included.”