This year's Warminster Carnival the best ever (From Wiltshire Times)

This year's Warminster Carnival the best ever

10:17am Thursday 1st November 2012 in Warminster By Will Frampton

Carnival-goers got a taste of the ‘roaring Twenties’ in Warminster on Saturday with Hot Rock Carnival Club’s float of the same name winning nine awards.

As well as coming first in their class, members of the group picked up awards for best feature routine, best lighting, spectators’ choice and president’s choice for their spectacular period-themed float.

Other award-winning floats included Western-themed ‘Cactus City’ and the ‘Garden of Evil’.

The parade began with the Lions change float at 6.30pm, followed by police and fire officers and more than ten local town criers, led by Warminster’s Olympic torchbearer Nic Noble.

They were followed by majorettes groups and the floats themselves, making up around 60 entries to this year’s event, the best for several years according to carnival chairman Sandra Major.

She said: “We had a lovely evening, very cold but at least it was a dry carnival, so we had a good turn out and a lot of good fun.

“This carnival also marked the 40th anniversary of our committee, although we have only one member left from its earliest incarnation.

“But we can always do with more people to help out.

“Also we seemed to do well with funding, we were down about £300 last year so hopefully we will be back to normal levels again this year.”

The carnival, the last in the annual Wessex Carnival Circuit, has been running for more than 100 years.

It starts in Boreham Road and travels through the High Street on its traditional route, to end by the Minster Church in Church Lane.

Other entries this year included the Warminster Wobble Wattenator, and the ‘Flying Carpet’ a mock aeroplane made of carpets by local shopkeeper and councillor Andrew Davis.

Spectators also enjoyed a fundraising tombola at St Lawrence Chapel, and rides and entertainments at Jennings Fair.