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A float in this week’s Battle will be displaying innovative film stills from classic movies following a change of rules for the 120-year-old parade.
For the first time, exhibitors have been able to include some non-flowered areas on their floats, and the perennially successful Optimists Club has taken full advantage.
“This year our float includes something never seen in Battle before. Due to rule changes to allow a percentage of non-flowered areas, we have been able to include additional detail and enhance the design by adding photos of film reel stills from 1920s silent movies," the club explained.
“While this has been a huge undertaking to complete, it has added something else special to the float and saved us a significant about of money in flowers and glue.”
Pictured: The annual parade takes place this week.
The club added: “This rule change has also allowed us to use lit light bulbs in the day parade and also paint certain areas which would not have looked as clean and neat had they been flowered.
“Without these rules changes we would not have been able to complete the full masterpiece we are looking forward to presenting on Battle Day.
“So keep an eye out as we parade around the battle arena and see if you can make out what is happening in the scenes from films of Laurel & Hardy, King Kong and Charlie Chaplin.”
The Battle of Flowers takes place this Thursday and Friday, with hundreds of islanders both taking part and working behind the scenes to prepare the floats.
22 floats will be taking part in this year's parades with themes ranging from Alice in Wonderland to Mary Poppins, pirates and princesses. Gates will open at 13:00 on Thursday with the Parade starting at 14:30, when special guest Bailiff Sir Timothy Le Cocq utters the immortal words: "Let Battle commence."
Along with the coveted awards of Prix d’Honneur, Prix d’Excellence and Grand Prix des Fleurs, there will also be a 'Spectator’s Award' presented to the junior and senior floats that the attendees choose as their favourite.
During Battle Day, there'll also be live music performances in Lower Park following Thursday’s Parade and before the Moonlight Parade on Friday. ‘Little Gig in Lower Park’ will see stage performances from several local musicians, including Scott Livingstone, Hamish Brodie and Hot Bananas.
Following the Day Parade, the floats will return to Millbrook Playing Fields where the public will be able to see them up close.
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On Friday, the arena will open at 19:00, with the Moonlight Parade commencing at 21:00 and concluding around 22:30 with the traditional fireworks finale a performant by Aerosparx.
Tickets can be bought at the gates, but spectators are being urged to buy them online in advance to avoid queuing.
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