Woolaston has “never had a carnival like” the one on Saturday (June 30), organisers were told, after around 1,500 people came to enjoy the fun and entertainment in the summer sunshine.

Coordinator Andy Morgan-Watts said: “I’ve had individuals talking to me, emails and WhatsApp messages, all saying how well they thought it went, including one person who said they’ve lived in the village 40 years and thought there had never been a carnival like it.

“I moved here about eight years ago and heard the carnival was dying off a bit, so I got involved. It’s a very small team of us who organise it, with more people who help set up and take down and help out on the day.”

The carnival was very much a local affair, with music from the Forest Swing Band and Chepstow Community Band, a fun dog show organised by Forest of Dean Dog Rescue and Woolaston Basset Hounds as well as llamas and a horse from Severn Valley Equestrian.

“We had a static falconry display by Dean Forest Falconry,” Andy said. “It was a challenge because of the heat, but people loved getting close to the birds of prey. And Richard Naylor, who lives nearby, brought along reptiles and bugs. It was great to see children with tarantulas on their hands or snakes wrapped round their necks and throughly enjoying it.

“Our championship races also went well despite the heat. We had egg and spoon and sack races and a tug-of-war, as well as running races for adults and children.

“We’re a very small committee and volunteers are hard to find. It’s very satisfying when the event goes so well and it spurs you on for next year, but it’s a lot of work. Man power is always a problem and we’d like to have more people coming forward to help for next year. We’ve found over the years that fun equals funds and we think we’ll have made about £2,000 this year.

“The money we make goes towards the upkeep of Woolaston Memorial Hall. We’re looking at a project to extend the hall to add more storage as we’ve seen an increase in the number of groups wanting to use the hall.

“I’d like to offer my sincere thanks to the small team who planned the event throughout the year and the folk of Woolaston and the surrounding area who supported the event and made it such a success.

“In particular, I’d like to thank Rich Dustan at the Netherend Inn. He’s new to it and really helped us to get sponsorship and let us meet at the pub and supplied us with free sandwiches. He wanted to make an impact on the village and he’s really done that.”

If you want to get involved with the carnival, get in touch with Andy on 01594 529381 or email [email protected]