Carnival time as town puts out the bunting for another year
A carnival that has been held for more than a century will wind through the town of Wem once more on Saturday.
There will be not one but two parades through the streets and a full afternoon of entertainment on the carnival field, next to the swimming pool.
Organisers say that there will be around 50 stalls on the carnival field and they are urging people to go along and support the day.
Wem Carnival was first held in 2011 to celebrate the coronation of King George V.
Although its popularity subsided through the war years and into the 1960s it was revived in 1978 and has continued every since.
Beginning at Wem Sports and Social Club car park the afternoon parade will start at 1.30pm and the illuminated evening parade at 7.45pm. Roads along the route, including High Street, Aston Street and Station Road will close 30 minutes before the start and reopen as the procession passes.
A committee spokesman said that each year the cost of staging the carnival grew.
"We want the carnival to be a huge success and to continue to grow. Unfortunately the running costs are spiralling year-on-year and the cost of entertaining people as well as keeping everyone safe is now likely to be in the region of £12,000 to £15,000 this year.
"We will continue with our bucket and tin collections on the day, alongside our year-round fundraising activities, but with people carrying less and less cash, we want them to be able to help us by donating in other ways, such as through a Go Fund Me campaign: gofundme.com/f/help-keep-wem-carnival-going."
