On the carnival beat

The annual street party was enjoyed by more than 3,500 people who lined the streets to cheer on the procession.

Firefighters led the parade from the top of Lickhill Road into The Wharf squirting water at the crowds as they drove past.

The procession, based on the theme of The Elements was host to an array of imaginative and creative costumes and scenery.

Calne Players created Shrek's swamp on the back of a lorry including the full-size green ogre from the animated film.

Calne WI dressed as the Calendar Girls and wore each month of the calendar across their chests.

Friends of the Earth used the elements theme to protest about polluting the atmosphere and a man in a boiler suit and gas mask rode a bicycle alongside a man carrying a paper mach globe surrounded by flames.

The most amusing characters, who won their class, were a group from Hungerford who entered a team called Revenge of the Foxes. Four foxes on bicycles followed a huntsman on a bicycle disguised as a horse. Each of the foxes had their own amusing costume including Sam Fox, Dessert Fox, City Fox and Twentieth Century Fox.

Sam Fox was a man wearing a pink dress, blond wig and fishnet tights.

Spectator Katy Jackson, 24, from Surrey, who was visiting friends in Calne, said the carnival was great fun.

"I have never been to anything like this before. It is really fun to watch and the kids especially seemed to love it. Why is it that men use any excuse to dress up in women's clothes?" she said.

This year the carnival was accompanied by music for the first time, which encouraged the crowds to dance alongside the parade.

Carnival organiser Jill Martin said she was extremely pleased with the two drumming bands.

"For the last three years we have had no music so I decided we had to have it. It was really infectious and young and old were dancing," she said.

Another new addition to the carnival were the community workshops in the weeks running up to the procession. In these sessions people from all walks of life helped to create the three dragons displayed in the parade.

Mrs Martin said: "We had many more people watching the carnival this year. We finally got people going. We had lots of different groups involved and the workshops helped to involve all the community.

"Many carnivals just have professionals who turn up on the day and do their act but we got the community to do it all for themselves."

She said it was a great way for the young and old to work together and gave newcomers in the town something to be part of.

Resident Richard Damon, 32, who lives in Calne, said it was the best

carnival yet.

"I have seen quite a few of them and this was definitely the best. So many people came to watch and there was loads to look at and it was very varied. The music really helped to give it rhythm," he said.

Following the procession there was a fete at The Wharf with bric-a-brac stalls and food provided by the Scouts. This was followed by a sell-out pig roast and a jazz night at Marden House.

Next year organisers want to improve the carnival more and are going to make the dragon-making workshops competitive.

Carnival winners

Pre-school and playgroups - Guthrie Playgroup

Schools and youth groups - Fynamore School

Clubs, pubs & adults - Blacklands, Calstone and Calne Women's Institute

Family Groups and Walking Groups - Fox's Revenge

Comic or Fancy Dress (any age) - Calne Players

Commercial and trade vehicles - Deceuninck

Best interpretation of carnival theme - Tots n Dots

Best Entry - Key Day Nursery