Decision to revive Bognor Regis Carnival ten years ago proved fantastic success

Ten years ago, the decision was made to revive the Bognor Regis Carnival, to bring back a sense of community and fun.

It was announced in the Observer in February 2015 that a traditional street procession was being planned for the summer by a three-man committee, to give the town its first daytime parade for two years.

Chairman Stuart Capelin, treasurer Alan McTernan and secretary Mark Marsh formed the Bognor Regis Carnival Association committee in January 2015, taking over from the previous organiser, Bognor Regis Town Council.

The date was set for June 7, 2015, and groups were quick to sign up, either for a float or walking, in a return to the old-style occasion.

The annual spectacle is still going strong to this day, bringing together the diverse and vibrant community in an explosion of joy and fun, thanks to the hard work of a small team, who had never put on anything together before.

The carnival had been run by Bognor Regis Lions Club until 2005, then the council took over in 2009 but decided to replace the parade with a series of static displays in 2014.

In the past, thousands of people had lined the streets to see the parade, and the organisers saw no reason why that could not happen again.

One of the first to sign up in 2015 was Bognor Regis Swimming Club. Members felt the town was lacking a sense of community but the carnival would bring people together.

Roll on four months and excitement was mounting for a fabulous day, with 32 entries lined up. People were looking forward to seeing a procession again, rather than static displays, and enthusiasm was mounting.

The parade started from the Belmont Street car park and travelled along The Esplanade, Aldwick Road, Park Road and Marine Drive West to West Park, where a host of attractions awaited.

Come the day, and the dream came true. Crowds flocked to Bognor to see the spectacle and the parade’s success was a delight. Everyone had a fabulous time.

The fantastic weather helped and it was lovely to see the streets crowded with people. There was a real sense of community at West Park, with stalls and arena events.

Guides, Scouts, dancers, musicians, swimmers, cycling superheroes, the Littlehampton carnival queen and princesses, Alice in Wonderland and even seafront illuminations mascot Billy the Bulb created an advancing river of light, colour, music and movement along the seafront.

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