Last updated 11:41, Saturday, 02 August 2008

Noise, colour and sheer enjoyment make carnivals some of the most memorable days in Cumbria’s calendar. Children and adults don intricate costumes as they stroll the carnival route or ride on elaborate floats to the sound of a band.

A celebration of a community, a chance to show off months of preparation, and an excuse for a party – the carnival is all this and more.

Wigton has one of Cumbria’s finest – but the carnival could soon be over.

Wigton Carnival is under threat because several organisers have stepped down without being replaced and the number of floats is dwindling, with health and safety regulations thought to be a factor.

The carnival was originally set up by Sister Aquinas, from Wigton’s Convent of Mercy. She was its driving force for many years and when she stepped down in the 1980s the carnival ended.

It was revived in 2000 and is now run by a committee. The participants usually include about 15 floats, 300 children, 50 adults and half a dozen bands, ending in a funfair.

But so far this year only five floats have entered. Preparations for floats start at Christmas, six months before the carnival. Stippling – cutting paper into small squares and creating landscapes – is an important part of any float. These can be anything from a film set to a fairy castle.

The bill for the carnival is about £4,000-5,000. Local groups contribute most of the total and Wigton Town Council usually makes a donation.

Prizes include best carnival queen’s float, outstanding boy and girl, outstanding adult and spirit of the carnival, which could be something as simple as a little girl smiling and catching the judges’ eyes.

Hundreds of bags of sweets are given to children and the carnival is also hugely popular with grown-ups.

Wigton Rugby Club always play a big part. In the past players have dressed up as nuns and the Beach Boys.

The carnival has occasionally been controversial, as in 2006 when two men joined the parade dressed in Ku Klux Klan costumes, but fun is usually the name of the game.

That’s the driving force behind organiser Paul Radcliffe’s plea: “Let’s not let the carnival die out again.”

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