Barges complete with cannons and traditonal music combined to ensure Pewsey's annual water festival on Saturday was a roaring success.

The canalside was packed during the day and evening for the festival, which was organised by the Pewsey Wharf Association.

Graham Lee, one of the organisers, said the event last year had been a great success, but this was eclipsed by Saturday's event.

Visitors flocked in to the festival from far and wide and the undoubted highlight was a carnival parade of decorated barges.

More than 30 decorated boats took part in the procession that took more than an hour to pass the wharf.

The colourful craft included a three- masted schooner to the delight of the spectators. The boats headed into the wharf from the west and had to pass under the bridge carrying the Pewsey-Marlborough road.

As soon as Norma Taylor's boat Poppy cleared the bridge the three masts were raised and children manned canons along the length of the craft.

Mrs Taylor won her own trophy given last year in memory of her late husband Charles, whose idea it had been to hold the water festival, although he did not live to see it come to fruition.

It was the culmination of a fun packed day with activities that included canal associated stalls, a craft fair, a pig roast and a display of canal craft.

Among the associations represented was the Kennet and Avon Canal Trust, Cotswold Canal Trust, Inland Waterways Association and the Wilts and Berks Canal Trust.

Entertainment was provided by Pewsey's own Kings Korner Band. Also entertaining were Icknield Morris and in the evening Meet on The Ledge in a marquee behind the

Waterfront, Pewsey's newest pub which has opened above the

renamed Boatman's Rest caf.

The Pewsey Wharf Association, of traders and users, hopes the festival will be an annual event.

Mr Lee said old photographs showed there was a successful water carnival held at the wharf in bygone years and there was a successful arts and crafts festival for many years. He said: "Saturday was a fantastic day for everybody." More than £1,000 has been raised towards the restoration of the Wilts and Berks Canal.