Bognor carnival ready for silver screen glamour

The theme for the community event on Saturday is the cinema to ensure film references will abound among the 24 entries.

They come from local schools, community groups, pom pom troupes, youth groups and local traders.

Among the walking floats taking part will be the Aldingbourne Trust. Some 17 of its clients and staff will form its The Recycled Princess And The Frog entry.

Martha Pusey, a residential unit manager with the trust, said: "We're really looking forward to the carnival. It's all about having fun and enjoying ourselves in the community.

"It's a good way to promote the trust and the work we do. We thought recycling was an ideal thing to promote because we are well known for that.

"Everything on our float has been made from recycled materials - like the drums from oil cans - or we have made at our creative arts studio."

This will be the trust's debut in the carnival after the procession was brought back by Bognor Regis Town Council last June.

That attracted an overwhelmingly positive response - and 30 entries - to lead to Saturday's return of the family favourite.

Hundreds of people will take part in the parade between the Regis Centre car park and West Park. It will be the first time for many of them.

The procession will be led by the Maracatu Cruzeiro Do Sul Brazilian drumming band to get onlookers in the carnival mood.

The parade will leave the car park on Belmont Street at 2.30pm and travel along The Esplanade and Aldwick Road to the traffic lights.

It will turn left on Park Road and into Marine Drive West to reach West Park.

An awards ceremony will be held in the park about 5pm. Trophies will be awarded to the winners of the seven categories. A prize of 100 each will also go to the best walking entry and the best wheeled entry.

Town council events officer Sue Holmes has also worked to ensure carnival day will build on last year to return more to the traditional events held by the town's Lions club until 2005 when it ended.

"This year there will be additional stalls and entertainment at West Park," she said.

"This will include a hog roast, coffee and ice cream vendors and performances from the Brazilian drumming band and the Littlehampton Community School Steel Band."

A bouncy castle and goodie bags will also be available from the Bognor Regis Observer.

Benson's will be providing a funfair as well as fireworks about 10pm in another return to the previous format.

n Residents and visitors are reminded the Regis Centre car park will be closed to the public until 3.30pm on Saturday to enable the carnival entries to assemble.

Alternative parking arrangements will need to be made.

Motorists have also been warned cars parked along The Esplanade and Marine Drive West will be unable to move from their parking space during the afternoon.

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