SOUTH Brent Carnival Week ended in a blaze of glory at the weekend, a fitting way to mark the 40th year since the event was reborn in 1976.

Saturday’s carnival procession was a great success, villagers and visitors turning out in force in the sunshine to watch.

The Barnstaple Town Youth Marching Band and Devon Army Cadet Band, looking smart in their scarlet uniforms, provided music, with floats from all over Devon and Somerset in attendance.

South Brent’s own fantastic float with a ’Swinging ’60s’ theme was a highlight, with this year’s royalty Lucy Newman, Molly Joseph, Catherine Kervella, Sophie Williams, Lillian Neale and Shannon Camp enjoying themselves in their great costumes.

Walking entries included South Brent Brownies as ’clownies’, and Cubs and Beavers working a ’food glorious food’ theme. The best overall pedestrians went to Chipmunks Carnival Club’s ’Top Cat’, with South Brent’s ’Queen of Hearts’ second.

Prizewinners were the Totnes Alice in Wonderland float in first, with Newton Abbot second, Chudleigh third, and the Ashburton royalty float fourth. The queen of queens award went to the Ashburton float, which also scooped the prize for best attendants as well as the overall prize.

Sunday saw a very successful day of children’s sports and the carnival cricket event, occasional drizzle failing to dampen spirits. More than 30 people entered the egg catching competition, while the scarecrow competition was won by ’Scarecrow’s Wedding’, created by the Little Orchard Montessori Nursery School - the only ones to bring their scarecrow down to the Rec for judging.

Events had kicked off the previous weekend, the Street Fair taking place in glorious sunshine to the sound of a band sponsored by PD Devices. The shop window display competition was run and won by The Friary fish and chip shop with the flower shop in second, and cream teas were on offer in the Methodist Hall thanks to the Cubs and Beavers Committee.

The excitement was maintained during the week with bingo, a dance with music by Ray Denning, children’s fancy dress, the church service, and the popular Floral Dance lead by the Totnes Silver Band.

South Brent Carnival Club thanked South Brent Stores for all their hard work raising money for the carnival with a draw throughout the week.

The club also offered thanks to Lindsey and Terry Newman for all their help throughout the years with the euchre, as well as everyone else that helped in any way.