MORE than 50 entries large and small graced the annual Wellington Carnival procession which on Saturday night (September 27) wound its way from Rockwell Green through the town centre to Cades.

Several thousand townsfolk and people from nearby communities lined the streets to enjoy the party atmosphere and braved the rain which started about half-way through the event.

There were four major illuminated floats spread through the line-up, ‘Ice Harvest’ by Ilminster’s Harlequin Carnival Club, which won the best feature cart and two other awards, ‘Rumble in the Jungle’ by One Plus One Carnival Club, also from Ilminster, which was the comic class winner and took two more titles, youth class winner ‘The Spirit of Christmas from Chard-based Rubalo Carnival Club, which also won four other prizes, and the Nunsford Nutters Carnival Cub entry ‘Don’t Fly With Us’, from Colyton, Devon.

They were complemented by several majorette troupes and dozens of walking entries, as well as a revved up motorcycle group and a procession of HGV lorries from Devon Truck Show bringing up the rear of the parade, which took an hour and a half to pass by.

Wellington Pantomime Group members paraded in their Sleeping Beauty costumes to help promote next January’s show in the Wellesley Theatre.

A giant Bishop Blaize and Saint Brigit towering above everybody else also caught the attention of many as Wellington Folk and Customs Society took part for a second successive year.

And carnival visitors who joined the procession from Torres Vedras, Wellington’s twin town in Portugal, came prepared for the weather, dancing under illuminated umbrellas.

Full results

Class one, Feature - Ice Harvest, Harlequin CC.

Class two, Tableaux – no entries.

Class three, Comic – 1 Rumble in the Jungle, One Plus One CC; 2 Don’t Fly With Us, Nunsford Nutters CC.

Class four, Youth - The Spirit of Christmas, Rubalo CC.

Class five, Open – 1 Country Gals, Zem CC; 2 Chard Carnival Royalty; 3 The Race, Unicorn CC.

Class six, Walking adult – 1 Ragtime County Edition, Jacks CC, 2 Masquerade, Ruth Welsh; 3 Elementasia, Tizzys CC; 4 In The Stars, Spirit CC.

Class seven, Walking juvenile - Way of The Dragon, Flynn Newberry.

Class eight, Walking pairs - Diego and His Bucking Broncho, A&A.

Class nine, Walking groups – 1 Sleeping Beauty. Wellington Pantomime Society; 2 Colour my Dreams, Fortitude Performance Troupe; 3 Farmyard Frenzy, Wellington and Taunton YFC.

Class 10, Walking open non-motorised – 1 Forever Autumn, Pippa Newberry; 2 Candy Kid, Florence Knight; 3 Pickles Patch, Pickles CC.

Class 11, Trade – 1 Bounce On; 2 Devon Truck Show.

Class 12, Majorettes – not judged.

Class 13, Open walking non-federation – 1 Wellington Folk Parade; 2 Thriller, Beech Grove School; 3 Spooky Spooky Skeletons, Somerset Youth Theatre.

Special awards

Best local entry - Wellington Folk Parade.

Best school entry - Thriller, Beech Grove School.

Best use of make-up walking - Ragtime County Edition, Jacks CC.

Best costume walking - Diego and His Bucking Broncho, A&A.

Best use of make-up on float – (joint) Ice Harvest, Harlequin CC, and The Spirit of Christmas, Rubalo CC.

Best costumed float – (joint) Ice Harvest, Harlequin CC, and Wellington Folk Parade.

Best dressed driver - The Spirit of Christmas, Rubalo CC.

Best Wellington entry – (joint) Thriller- Beech Grove School, and Wellington Folk Parade.

Best children’s entry - The Spirit of Christmas, Rubalo CC.

Spirit of carnival - Rumble in the Jungle, One Plus One CC.

Chairman’s choice - Rumble in the Jungle, One Plus One CC.