THOUSANDS of people celebrated at one of the county's biggest carnivals which took place in glorious weather.

Witney Carnival went ahead at the weekend after two years of being shelved because of the pandemic. And while most people welcomed the warm weather, the high temperatures proved too much for some of the four-legged revellers, with a planned dog show scrapped because of the heat.

The event celebrated the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, with its traditional parade given a royal flavour.

The Grand Procession through the centre of the town continued for 45 minutes – with 28 colourful floats, two steam engines, riders from cycle clubs, marching bands, local school children and two bands.

The carnival also boasted a stage with music for all ages, along with roaming musical acts and speciality children's entertainers performing throughout the afternoon.

There was also a funfair and vintage steam vehicles to admire.

Local businesses, craftspeople and traders showed off their wares on a range of stalls with food and drink on offer.

The carnival was organised by the town's Rotary Club, Lions Club, Round Table and Royal Air Force Air Cadets.

Procession organiser David Lord said: "After two years of isolation, Witney really enjoyed itself once again.

"The theme this year was the Queen's Platinum Jubilee, which came off really nicely and everyone was decorated to celebrate it.

"After the procession took place, we all went to The Leys, which absolutely lends itself to a carnival event.

"There was something for everyone. My highlight was seeing the procession form up, and seeing the delight on all the young people's faces.

"Witney is back to an annual event."

Witney Carnival Chairman Ron Spurs said: "It's so much fun to plan this event. We started planning in October last year, working with the town council to ensure what we deliver is appropriate and safe.

"The real highlight is the procession, and what I noticed in the town centre is how many people were really enjoying what they were seeing.

"Post-Covid it's one of the major family events that the town has, and people were genuinely pleased that we are getting back to normal.

"The thing to remember is that the carnival is free; it's for families to come and enjoy themselves without spending a penny, and all the proceeds go to charity."

 

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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.

Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.

Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk

Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1

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