A video of the woman, 79, peering from her window during the opening day of Notting Hill Carnival was shared to X with the caption ‘not everyone is loving Notting Hill Carnival’
A pensioner has revealed her mortification after being thrust into the spotlight when a video of her gazing from her window during Notting Hill Carnival became a viral sensation.
The footage, captured on Sunday, depicted the woman peering out from her residence during the inaugural day of the Caribbean street celebration. The clip was uploaded to X with the caption “not everyone is loving Notting Hill Carnival” and has since amassed 5.8 million views.
One response garnering over 118,000 likes declared: “The concept of buying a house in Notting Hill then being vexed when you have Notting Hill Carnival outside your house two days a year.”
Another user penned: “I don’t get why someone would willingly move there knowing that the carnival takes place annually. Then she has the temerity to have a face like that on her.”
However, Sue, 79, a retired sales manager originally from Australia who has resided in the flat for three years, insisted her expression had been misconstrued.
She said: “It’s terrible. We were sitting and having dinner and enjoying it and we thought let’s have a look out the window.”
She acknowledged she “must have looked grumpy” due to having her arms folded, but maintained she had been relishing the atmosphere. It’s probably because I had my arms crossed – I should have been dancing,” she remarked.
“People just want to say nasty things and will ask ‘who’s that cranky lady in the window’.”
Sue disclosed she typically departed during the carnival but had remained at home this year. “The carnival isn’t my taste but they were having so much fun – we just stayed indoors all day,” she said. We normally go away with our friends because we’re old but this year we just stayed at home.”
She added: “I’m not against the carnival at all – it’s noisy but it’s for the young – let them have fun. We didn’t hear anyone being violent or drunk or rude – people were sitting on our step just having fun.”
Sue said she had been hoping the event passed off peacefully after violence overshadowed last year’s festivities. Last year someone was stabbed so we were just hoping there would be no violence,” she said.
She added that she felt “really embarrassed” at the online attention.
“They must have thought I was so snooty,” she said. “I’m not a grumpy old woman.”
Europe’s largest street festival routinely draws more than two million revellers but has also created friction with some local residents over noise, crowds and disruption. In previous years, campaigners and politicians have proposed relocating or scrapping the event, but it has persisted in west London as a major celebration of Caribbean culture.
Over 500 people were arrested across the two days of the carnival this year, including 61 following the deployment of live facial recognition. The figure represents an increase from 349 last year when the event also witnessed the murders of 32 year old mother Cher Maximen and chef Mussie Imnetu.
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