Thousands lined the streets on Saturday to enjoy a colourful procession of floats as part of Trowbridge Carnival.
The procession, which featured more than 60 entrants, brought a huge crowd to the town centre, with organisers heralding the carnival as one of the biggest Trowbridge has ever seen.
The carnival parade left from Canal Road, before travelling along Islington, Timbrell Street, Union Street, Church Street, Silver Street, Market Street and Castle Street and finishing in Bythesea Road.
Maryrose Mantle, the carnival committee chairman, said: “I think it went brilliantly and the weather stayed with us, which made it easier for the spectators to enjoy the procession.
“It was lovely to see the smiles on the children’s faces and it was great that we could have the novelty of the Christchurch Cruiser Club leading the carnival out on their motorcycles and getting the crowd pumped up.”
“The standard of the floats and the costumes was very high and we had more local entries than ever before, which is a fantastic sign of things to come in the future. We definitely improved on last year.
“Everyone was singing and dancing along to the procession and we must have had more than 14,000 again. I want to thank everyone for coming out, especially the stewards who helped make sure it went smoothly.”
The main awards went to Hot Rock CC for a Hay Day float, which won Spectators’ Choice prize, Carina Haines with the President’s Trophy for Forest of Gold and Faith Lily Biles with the Don’t Blink Trophy for Snow Queen.
Victoria Studden, of Trowbridge, who watched the procession with her mother and children, Mya, 11, and Ethan, five, said: “We always come to the carnival and have done so since the kids were young, as they love it.
“I think this year’s was better than last year’s, as there were more floats and it was longer than it was last year.
“The floats are really good and it has been a fantastic occasion.”
Class awards
Comic Float (Open): 1, Oom Pah Pah - Cary Comedians CC
Tableau (Open): 1, Ice & Fire - Magnum CC; 2, Apolocapsye - Quackerside
Feature Float (Open): 1, Roll On Christmas - Revellers CC; 2, Hay Day - Hot Rock CC; 3, Farm Dance - Muppets CC
Local Float: 1, Nightmare in Wonderland - The Pig & Whistle CC; 2, Trowbridge College; 3, Oasis Academy Longmeadow
Group of Masqueraders (Local): 1, Majestic Eyes - Next Generation; 2, Trowbridge Majorettes; 3, A World of Imagination - Staverton Primary School
Group of Masqueraders (Open): 1, Infinity Dance Team; 2, Let's Rock - Enigma; 3, Black Bird - Little Leggs CC
Group of Masqueraders with wheeled props: 1, Flying the Flag - Christchurch Cruiser Club; 2, Sam's Swashbucklers - Jen Howes; 3, Jaguar Police Car - Adrian Cottle
Group Masqueraders with vehicle/small trailer: 1, Last Chance Saloon - En-Spired Carnival Club; 2, Lil Excalibur – Highwaymen CC
Individual Masquerader (Over 16 Open): 1, Dragon Queen - Natasha Shaw; 2, For Whom The Bell Tolls - Abbie Haines; 3, Carnival of Butterflies - Ann Cook
Individual Masquerader (Under 16 Open): 1, Forest of Gold - Carina Haines; 2, Snow Queen - Faith Lily Biles
Trade: 1, 4 Season - Hope Nature Centre; 2, P&P World - Mrs L Watts; 3, Meadowland - A R Greatwood
Special Awards
Spectator's Choice: Hay Day - Hot Rock CC
President's Trophy: Forest of Gold - Carina Haines
Spirit of Carnival (awarded in memory of Averil Beresford): Sam's Swashbucklers - Jennifer Howes
Don't Blink Trophy (Children's Special Award): Snow Queen - Faith Lily Biles
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