MELKSHAM is gearing up for its annual carnival on July 22, when the main street will be ablaze with colour and sound as locals parade through the town during the afternoon.

The annual procession, which attracts thousands of spectators from surrounding towns and villages, has been running for almost 100 years.

One of the town’s biggest community events, it will see a host of colourful floats from local businesses, community groups and families, led by the Carnival royalty, parade through Melksham’s streets to compete for prizes in categories including best performance, best walking group and Mayor’s choice.

A family fun day will be running throughout the day in the King George V playing field.

The Specsavers store on Bank Street is sponsoring the event for the second year running and the team will be on hand throughout the day to offer eye health advice and give out goodies to youngsters.

Store director Tom Mogford says: “We’ve been involved with the carnival for the last few years and this is the second time we’ll be sponsoring, so it’s very exciting. We’ve been part of the Melksham community for 10 years, and have seen a lot of change in that time. One thing that is constant however, is the town’s fantastic carnival, which people know and love being a part of.”