The Notting Hill Carnival today brings an estimated £400million into the London economy - but its roots stretch back decades to a time when Britain’s Caribbean community faced widespread racism

As a child, being taken to the Caribbean celebration was a drag. But once sound systems arrived in the 1970s, it became an unmissable yearly pilgrimage offering a sense of freedom

Around 2m people flock to Notting Hill Carnival each year. But there is no such thing as a free lunch, or free street party, says James Ford.