Colour, music and laughter at 40th Porlock Carnival

HUNDREDS of residents and visitors packed the streets of Porlock last Saturday to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Exmoor’s last remaining street carnival which once again brought colour, music, laughter and memories to the village.

The fun began in the afternoon with plenty going on to keep everyone entertained as the excitement built towards the moment when the carnival procession made its way through the streets.

This year’s 27 entries was the highest number for many years, and crowds lined the route to cheer and support all the participating floats and walking entrants.

A spokesperson for the organisers said: “For the 40th anniversary it was fantastic to see such a strong turnout of entries, from families and children to walking groups, local organisations, businesses and visitors - everyone brought something different to the procession.

“People have spent months making the wonderful floats and costumes and it’s great that Porlock has kept its carnival when other town’s and villages have called it a day.

“Four decades of carnivals is a huge achievement and Saturday was a wonderful opportunity to thank everyone who has played a part in keeping the tradition alive over the years.

“It was especially encouraging to see so many younger people involved. It shows that there is still plenty of enthusiasm, creativity and community spirit behind the carnival.

The spokesperson added: “The crowds who came to watch were also a huge part of the day's success. Seeing the streets packed with people enjoying themselves and supporting the entrants creates a fantastic atmosphere and makes the event really special.

“After 40 years, Porlock carnival is still bringing the community together, creating memories and giving people something to look forward to every year.”

Photos: George Ody and Shaun Davey