LARGE crowds packed the streets of Holsworthy on a chilly evening last Saturday to watch the town’s annual carnival — and with the funfair in full swing on the Manor Car Park, it was, as ever, a colourful, enjoyable and well supported event, writes Christine Williams.
The evening began in the square with the judging of visiting royalty from Hatherleigh, Launceston, Halwill and Okehampton, by the mayor, Portreeve, town crier, Pretty Maid and Freeman of the town of Holsworthy.
Holsworthy and District Lions Club said the idea to have Holsworthy’s oldest living carnival queen assisting the other judges was put on hold, for this year at least. It was felt that the long evening would be a bit too much — especially given coldness of the day.
This year, Holsworthy and District Lions reintroduced an old tradition that was stopped in the 1970s by crowning the Holsworthy Carnival Queen and Fairy Queen on the balcony of the White Hart Hotel in the centre of town.
There, Holsworthy’s Carnival Queen, 13-year-old Alice Healy, and Fairy Queen, five-year-old Lily Moore, were crowned.
Meanwhile the carnival floats were being judged at the industrial estate and within an hour the procession made its way up Dobles Lane led by Holsworthy Town Band.
More than 20 floats took part in the carnival and there were dozens of entrants on foot. The route around Holsworthy was packed with people watching, despite the miserable weather.
Topical news and entertainment provided themes for some of the floats, notably ‘The Great Holsworthy Bake-off’, ‘One in a Minion’ and more locally ‘Save Our Hospital’ and ‘Thirty Years of Reflections’, followed by a lively group of the hairstylist’s customers.
Among the most colourful floats were ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, ‘The World of Peter Rabbit’, ‘Once Upon a Time in the West’ and the eye-catching ’Mechanical Circus’ with an enormous moving elephant spouting fire from its tusks.
It was good to see the participation of so many young people, including the Beavers, Cubs, Holsworthy Youth Club and the Army Cadets with their collecting buckets.
Young farmers’ clubs were well represented with floats from Bradworthy, Buckland Brewer, Clawton, Lewdown, Stratton and Winkleigh. Interspersed among the floats were the Bideford Youth Pipes and Drums and the Energia Samba Band.
The best tableau award was presented to ‘Chitty Chitty Bang Bang’, entered by the Dilling, Wonnacott, Squire, King and Bater families from Highampton. Special mention should also go to ‘Mechanical Circus’ entered by Kay Stevens from Hatherleigh — the stunning fire-breathing float was not judged in the official competition due to a broken generator.
Thanks are due to Holsworthy and District Lions for keeping the spirit of carnival alive in the town.
Ted England, carnival committee chairman, said afterwards: “It has been a very successful carnival watched by hundreds of people and I am grateful for the fantastic support we have received.”
Mayor Cllr John Allen said: “The carnival was a tremendous success. It was a cold night, but it was probably one of the best turnouts for many years, in respect to both people and floats.
“I would like to thank the Lions and all the volunteers who helped to make the carnival a success.”