The village hangs underwear as decoration

Colorful bras and panties are hung everywhere in Bonsall village, becoming an attractive image for visitors every Bonsall Carnival.

Bonsall, a small village in Derbyshire county, central England, located on the edge of the Peak District National Park, is famous for its ancient stone houses and underwear hanging everywhere during the Bonsall festival.

Although the Bonsall festival has existed for nearly 100 years, the use of underwear as decorative flags has only appeared in the past three years. This idea quickly made its mark, helping Bonsall Carnival become widely known on social networks.

According to Ms. Louise Stevenson, secretary of the festival committee, this idea came from Mr. Jeff Phillips, a resident who is now over 80 years old. During the village’s annual “most beautiful house” contest, he and his late wife hung a row of flags across the main street, decorated with corsets and old-fashioned women’s underwear as a fun trick. Mr. Phillips has been in the lingerie business for more than 30 years, so this is also a way to introduce his work.

Three years ago, when preparing for the Bonsall Carnival, the organizers decided to invite Phillips to open the series of events to recognize his contributions to the community. The festival committee also proposed that the whole village replace traditional decorative flags with underwear to honor his unique idea.

The proposal received favorable response from the people. Since then, every festival season, bras and panties of all colors and sizes are stretched across the streets, creating a different scene in the middle of the ancient stone village. Many first-time visitors to Bonsall are often surprised to see underwear appearing everywhere.

Unlike many large-scale festivals in the UK, Bonsall Carnival still retains a strong sense of community. The program lasts about a week with many activities for all ages such as parades, folk games, jogging, nature walks, music performances and local fundraising events.

Strips of underwear are hung from the beginning of the festival week and cover many roads in the village. After the main operations are finished, they are usually kept for another day before being taken down. This year, Bonsall Carnival ends on August 1.

“Bonsall is famous for doing a lot of strange things. Tourists often stop to take pictures and I think that’s one of the great things about this village,” Ms. Stevenson said.