Category: Recreation: Carnival

Look Out For Dumbo In Warminster Carnival

Saturday 25th October 2025

A message from Radek Evens:

Hello good folks of Warminster from Dumbo.

I am taking a victory parade through the town in the carnival tonight from 6.45pm to celebrate me doing 65 half marathon for charities if you see me give me a hi fi.

At the carnival everyone are volunteers and do this to put on a carnival but it cost lot of money so please give generous if everyone give a pound including kids that will pay for the carnival this year and bit for next year if you can give a fiver even better.There will be a lady going around with a carnival top with a card machine please stop her.

I am still collecting money for my running so if you want to sponsor me please do on my page and a percentage will go to to the carnival.

www.justgiving.com/…/RadekEvansdoingEddieLizard…

Warminster Community Radio Live Broadcast Of Warminster Carnival

Monday 20th October 2025

Message from Warminster Community Radio:

It’s Carnival Week!

Our commentary team have their copies of the programme for preparation. You can hear Debi, Jamie, Barry, Bob and Andrew live from 6pm this Saturday with full coverage of the procession.

A Letter From The Warminster Carnival Chairperson 2025

Saturday 11th October 2025

From The Warminster Carnival 2025 Programme:

This has been a very difficult year for the Committee as we have sadly lost two of our Committee. Jill Goodenough (Judging Organiser, and had held many other positions on the committee), who this would have been her 40th year on the committee, and John Rich (Vice Chairman and many would know him when collecting a bucket at the start on Carnival day) who had been on the committee for well over 30 years.

Thanks go to the dedicated Carnival Committee for the continued support and hard work fundraising throughout the year. Without their dedication and support from local businesses and the Council we could not afford to put on this event.

Please come along and support the many events advertised in the programme as you possibly can.

Local charities are to benefit from profits that are made from this year’s carnival.

All entrants you see tonight, walking or on carts, have put in so much effort into their entries however big or small. Many like the carnival committee spend most of their year fundraising, so please show your appreciation giving plenty of cheers as they go by.

Let’s hope it stays fine and we have a fun evening. Hope we can make it a bumper collect for the charities, please help to fill those collecting vehicles and buckets.

Sandra Major (Warminster Carnival Chairperson 2025).

In Memory Of Jill Goodenough

Saturday 11th October 2025

From The Warminster Carnival 2025 Programme:

In Memory Of Jill Goodenough
Jill’s involvement with Warminster carnival began 40 years ago. She was asked to help with the catering for invited guests. The carnival then assembled at the Geest banana factory site (now Hillbourne Close), the procession started at 5 pm, and was held in September. Judges decided upon winners prior to the procession, cups and shields given out.

In 1987 she became Procession Secretary organising bands, majorettes, first aid and the entries. By this time the mounted section became more illuminated. It was felt that they should be seen at their best later in the evening. 1988 the committee heard of the Wessex Carnival Circuit and applied to join. At this time Warminster and Mere swapped dates, Warminster moving to the date used to this day, the last Saturday in October. Other changes Warminster made was to change to the old style of judging stationery to judging on the actual route. Jill was the main instigator of this. Carnival moved from Geest’s to Battlesbury Barracks to its now assembly place at Boreham Road.

Jill moved to live in Bridgwater over 27 years ago, but still held her role as Judging Organiser, she always came up carnival week to help out, her main role in Warminster Carnival was to organise the judges. This would have been her 40th Warminster Carnival.

The committee have lost a great member of the Carnival Committee as well as a great friend. She will be sorely missed throughout Carnival by all who knew her.

In Memory Of John Rich

Saturday 11th October 2025

From The Warminster Carnival 2025 Programme:

In memory of John Rich
Sadly in August our Vice Chairman passed away. John had been a member of the Warminster Carnival Committee for over 30 years. He was still our Vice Chairman. John had joined as his partner (Pam Mitchell) was the Secretary on the Committee (until her passing in 2022).

John already was the Vice Chairman of the Committee but took on the role of Minute Secretary.

Many will have known John as the quiet gentleman that handed out the buckets on Carnival night for those who volunteer to collect for the Carnival, again a role he still had.

John will be sadly missed by the Carnival Committee and all who knew him.

Two Stalwarts Of Warminster Carnival

Tuesday 16th September 2025

Two stalwarts of Warminster Carnival, namely John Rich and his partner Pam Mitchell. The photo was taken at their home at Bread Street (or should I say Lower Bread Street?) on Friday 2nd November 2001.

If you are eagle-eyed you may notice that John is holding a quiz sheet and a gift voucher card, and Pam is holding a book: Thorburn’s Birds by Archibald Thorburn (edited by James Fisher). Back in the good old days I used to organise a lot of quizzes and treasure hunts, for fun and to raise funds for local charities and community projects. On this occasion I had put out a postal quiz, the answers to which were all birds’ names. John and Pam achieved the most correct answers and won the first prize which included the voucher and the book. I wasn’t surprised they won, as John was a keen quizzer and sometimes organised quizzes himself.

John was a builder and handyman. He died earlier this year, only a few weeks ago. The last time I saw him he was dog walking with his daughter and grandson (from Swindon) at Gooseacre Lane, down at Smallbrook.

Pam married David Mitchell in 1962. Pam was well known – she worked in Woolworths at High Street, Warminster, for many years. Pam and I found ourselves together on many occasions – one that particular stands out is when we met Matt Baker from BBC tv’s Countryfile, we both had our photographs taken with him. I knew Pam’s parents very well too – Fred Byrne and Nora Byrne (nee Turner), from Ash Walk.

Pam died during 2022. I remember, at her funeral at the Minster Church on Monday 26th September 2022, everyone who attended was given a packet of forget-me-not seeds with a message on the packet which read: “In loving memory of Pam Mitchell, 23 July 1939 – 28 August 2022. Please plant these seeds and grow them in memory of Pam.”

The Passing Of Jill Goodenough

Monday 26th May 2025

Sam Ryall, of Warminster Carnival Committee, writes:

Warminster Carnival Committee are deeply saddened to report the passing of Jill Goodenough. This year she was celebrating 40 years on our committee doing every part of organising our Carnival over the years. We are so thankful for everything she has done for us and the legacy she has left. We send all our love to Stephen Culverwell, Paul Goodenough and Jason Goodenough and all her wider family and friends. We have lost a true Carnivalite. RIP.

Warminster Carnival Queen Age Range Extended

Friday 16th August 1991

Women up to the age of 40 are to be invited to take part in this year’s Warminster Carnival Queen competition, and a holiday for two in Paris awaits the winner.

The wider age range is to encourage more entrants to the competition, and was the idea of a new working party set up to revamp the annual event. The working party is made up of Mrs. Cathy Day, Mr. Danny Howell, and Mrs. Jane Owens.

Competition organiser Mrs. Owens said: “We have opened the competition up to girls and ladies aged 16 to 40. We are looking for someone with a good personality to represent carnival throughout the year.”

Another change to previous years is to open the competition to a wider catchment area, including the surrounding parishes of: Warminster, Bapton, Bishopstrow, Boyton, Brixton Deverill, Chapmanslade, Chitterne, Codford, Corsley, Corton, Crockerton, Fisherton Delamere, Heytesbury, Hill Deverill, Horningsham, Kilmington, Kingston Deverill, Knook, Longbridge Deverill, Maiden Bradley, Monkton Deverill, Norton Bavant, Norton Ferris, Sherrington, Stockton, Sutton Veny, Tytherington, Upton Lovell, Upton Scudamore and Wylye.

The carnival queen crowning ceremony will form a half-hour interlude in a dance to be held at Kingdown School, Warminster, on Friday 27th September 1991.

The holiday prize is courtesy of Baker Dolphin and C&M Travel of Warminster.

The new queen’s first official engagement will be the town’s annual carnival procession on Saturday 26th October 1991.