Video and pictures: Newport Carnival brings out the crowds

Last year's event in the town was plagued by heavy rain – but the weather was kinder this time around.

With the theme based this year around the Queen's 90th birthday, the Newport royal party was "crowned" on Saturday morning before leading a procession of floats through the town.

There were also the usual fairground rides, ring displays, live music and food and drink stalls.

Check out Bram Welch's video of the event:

A new cup in memory of Morris Reese, a long-serving carnival committee member who recently died, was presented to the winner of this year's Newport Carnival Shop Window Contest.

Shops and other businesses in the town were invited to decorate their windows in the theme of Her Majesty's 90th Birthday.

There were plenty of flags, bunting, royal memorabilia and flowers on show as Mayor of Newport Lyn Fowler took a tour of the town to judge the entries.

Organiser Eva Allen, a former mayor of Newport, said there had been a high standard of entries and the overall winner was Kitty Kraft, in St Mary's Street, with its spectacular cake display.

On carnival day on Saturday, Kitty Kraft was presented with the Morris Reese Cup.

Eva said of Morris: "He was a very nice man and he worked very hard. He used to polish all the cups every year for all the winners of the floats.

"He loved the town, I remember him when he was a bus driver when I first came to Newport.

"All the time I was a councillor and mayor he was always there and he would support things as much as he could, he more or less supported everything."

Carnival chairman Graham Foster said it had been a great success.

"This year's carnival is something new to us as an an organising committee, with the exception of just a small number of members who had been on previous carnival committees," he said.

"We are a totally new group, who came together after reading a request in the Newport Advertiser that the carnival may have to be axed due to a lack of interest from the people of Newport.

"Initially 25 plus members turned up last year year, just before Christmas, at The Pheasant public house, and from this group we now have a regular committee of approximately 14 committed members who since this time have met weekly to plan and organise this year's event.

"As you can imagine it has not been easy for us as a committee.

"But all in all it seemed to go really rather well."

And planning is already well under way for next year.

The Kings Head in Newport is helping next year's carnival get a head start, with a fundraising event on Saturday lined up for all the family to enjoy.

Landlord Mick Collins is hosting a barbecue raising funds for next year's Newport Carnival on June 18 from 6pm.

There will also be a bouncy castle for the kids.