Snaking Into Chinese New Year, Maidstone

We've decided this year that we are going to try and photograph more events in our local town and nearby villages. Today it was the Chinese New Year celebrations in Maidstone so we thought we should go along and try and capture it in all its glory. We got into town just before the opening ceremony which was being held in the pedestrianised Jubilee Square on the High Street. We were initially disappointed as there was quite the crowd but in a very confined area so we really could not see much at all. Every now and again the dancing lions (which had just been "awoken") poked their heads above the crowd (see my last extra). I had to take this shot with my camera well above my head and managed to compose it via live view. It felt like a bit of a damp squib as the sight lines were so poor so we retreated to a nearby pub for our usual Saturday pint.
However, we decided to return back to High Street just in case things had improved and it was then that we discovered the dancing lions were now playfully prowling along the length of nearby Week Street and that's where I took the rest of my images. With the main I wanted to capture the terrifically had working people who brought the dancing lions to life - it must have been exhausting whirling, diving, dipping and twirling while still trying to entertain everyone, especially the smaller humans. As it was the year of the snake they were giving away free "furry" ones, one of which you can see on the right hand side of the first extra. We had such a good time taking our shots and were so glad we took a second chance on the event after consuming our beverages!