LOCALS pulled out all the stops to mark the 100th anniversary of Aylburton Carnival.

Hundreds of people turned out to see the impressive floats and wide range of walking entries make their way to the playing fields where Lydney’s Paralympic gold medallist Andy Lewis officially opened the event.

The first recorded carnival took place in 1917 as a fund-raiser to send home comforts to local soldiers serving on the Western Front during the First World War.

Andy and his family joined the parade – which also featured a tank – in a vintage car driven by Andy Morgan-Watts of Woolaston.

The Paralympic tri­athlon champion said: “It’s an honour to be asked to come and open the carnival – it’s amazing the effort everyone has put in.

“I’m told the first carnival in 1917 was to raise money to send things to the troops on the frontline which was an absolutely fantastic thing to support.”

The floats were led from Taurus Crafts by a marching band from Tewkesbury, and the Carnival Queen, 13-year-old Kasey Leigh, and attendants Alice Cole, Lillie Rowles, Daisy Court, Imogen Nixon and Isla Sargent. The walking entries joined in the village.

Nutkins Nursery’s Walking Through the Jungle was declared the best decorated float and won the Bledisloe Cup.

A float paying tribute to the original event, Carnival 1917-2017, by the Rickards and Newman families was second and Aylburton School Mine­craft float was third. The Cross Inn also had a float in the parade based on the film Toy Story.

The winner of the group prize was Aylburton Acorns with their circus theme and the best adult was Les Meakin as an Oompa-Lumpa from Charlie and the Choc­olate Factory.

There were a wide range of activities on the field including tug o’war and children’s races and the Meth­odist Church next to the field hosted exhibitions on the history of the carnival and proposals to restore the village cross.

The carnival raises money for the memorial hall and playing field and this year’s event will contribute around £6,000 to the coffers.

•See this week’s Review for more photographs.