Fancy fun in Priory Park (From Echo)

Fancy fun in Priory Park

3:00pm Friday 15th August 2008

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PRIORY Park in Southend was transformed into a wonderland full of fantasy characters and teddy bears.

Southend Carnival’s annual fancy dress competition saw more than 100 children dressed up as their favourite figures from films, cartoons and books.

The event kicked off with a teddy bears’ picnic, before the judging began with the stakes high in the fancy dress contest.

The park was filled with the different colours of homemade and hired costumes worn by children aged under 12.

The competition’s youngest entrant was seven-month-old Joe Gifford who was dressed as Toro, a fictional character created by Sony computer entertainment.

The oldest entrant, part of the child and guardian entry was Clifford Evans, 40, who dressed as a damsel in distress with his son Oliver as the hero George and the Dragon.

Alan Jones, who organises the event with his wife Sheila and son Ian, said: “We were well up on numbers compared to last year. It’s really popular. The weather held off, which was good so we held it by the bandstand, which was a nice setting.

“The teddy bears’ picnic was really popular too with about 150 children and their bears joining in the fun and games.”

The Beijing Olympics had an influence on some choices of costume with several dressing as athletes.

Mr Jones said: “We also had fairies, three little pigs and the world which was hot and cold to represent global warming, a jellyfish, pirates and Spiderman.

“Lots of thought and effort had gone into the costumes. A lot of them were homemade.”

The high quality of the costumes meant the judges had their work cut out when they awarded prizes in the ten classes.

The carnival court’s choice award went to Alexander Rowland who was dressed as the Hunchback of Notre Dame in the eight to 12-year- old category.

There were individual entries as well as pairs, groups and wheeled for those in pushchairs or wheelchairs.

All the winners received trophies and certificates, while all entrants, including one family on holiday from Coventry, had a goody bag.

The winners were Girls under four: Sophie Gerrie as an Olympic weightlifter Boys under four: Nicholas Butler as a Chinese takeaway Girls four to seven: Amber Rankin as a flower girl Boys four to seven: James Durant as a Polish boy from twin town Sopot Girls eight to 12: Flick Dare as global warming Boys eight to 12: Oliver Evans as George and the Dragon Pairs: Elizabeth Wynn and Lewis Sanders as a birthday cake and present Groups: Oliver Thomas and Sophie Gerrie, Olympic team Wheeled entry: Ashleigh Evans as Poseidon Greek God of the Sea.

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