Walking through the streets of Notting Hill last weekend, the pristinely-painted white homes, Porsches and Ferraris took a back stage to the throb of Caribbean music. The streets were host to an estimated one million people and we were in the thick of it, walking towards collections of crazy dancers, jerk chicken stands and stereo speakers shaking with vibration. It wasn't hard to work out where the action was - you simply followed the screams and the loud beats, or you walked towards rising clouds of smoke coming up from hundreds of barbecues. They were mostly manned by men with outrageous dreadlocks, toppling on their heads like Amy Winehouse's beehive.

It was Monday Funday at the Notting Hill Carnival - the day after 'family day' and the day before the surrounding streets are home to enough rubbish to fill two Olympic-sized swimming pools. I had been a teensy bit nervous about attending the event, after reports about people getting stabbed and shot in previous years. As it turned out, I couldn't have felt safer in the company of one million strangers. Despite the British Bobbies arresting over 300 people, the only trouble I encountered was when I took the cocky approach to eating jerk chicken for the first time.

You see, thanks to our friendly neighbourhood kebab man and his super spicy chilli sauce, I've grown quite accustomed to heat when I eat and I thought the Caribbean chicken would be no problem, mon. I bought the five pound tray of chicken, which included gravy-coloured sauce over chicken drumsticks, rice, beans and salad. I tucked in and a millisecond later, I was dying. It was the hottest food I've ever given a go and my lips were burning in a way I'd never experienced. Flaming lips aside, I could see what all the fuss was about. Those Jamaicans sure know how to heat up their chicken! And they really know how to dance.

The Notting Hill Carnival was first kicked off in 1959 by post-World War II Caribbean immigrants who wanted to speak out against the past year's race riots. It is the second largest carnival in the world, behind the one in Rio de Janeiro. And despite there being stabbings and shootings in previous years, 2008 managed to go off without a bang, as they say.

The atmosphere at the carnival was so upbeat and inspiring, it was a challenge to stay still - but who would want to? We danced our way through the crowds of people, taking off to new spots whenever we saw a party had gathered. There was house music, hip hop and reggae pumping down from various groups of party people. My favourite discovery was the rock and roll gathering where people were bopping around like the happiest people on the planet. It was the most infectious atmosphere with fantastic old hits playing and people doing rock and roll dancing on a stage next to a tacky golden elephant statue. My friends are I were having a really good boogie when we noticed the one woman who summed up the whole Notting Hill Carnival for us - the rockin' granny.

She was well into her golden years, with long jet-black (from a bottle) hair falling all over her face. She was wearing a cowboy hat and a very revealing sparkly bodysuit and when she wasn't dancing like a total fruitcake, she was swigging so enthusiastically on her can o'cider that we stood there and cheered her on.  I have truly never seen a senior citizen enjoy themselves so much and it was the most awesome sight of the day. Although I have to say, some of the Caribbean women doing their mind-blowing booty shake was also well up there. Is it really possible to move like that? Astounding!

Find out about London.

Read more of Kelly's blogs.