The 40th Braintree Carnival will kick off in style on Saturday with the man at the helm having been involved in the organisation for 39 years.

Robert Watson, now carnival committee chairman, says the format will be similar to previous years, to provide entertainment and give people a "sense of community."

The first carnival was spearheaded by councillor, John Arnold, to help the council chairman raise money for a Third World charity, Freedom From Hunger.

Thousands lined the streets for the carnival, with 90 floats stretching from Lakes Road to Clockhouse Way.

That year the carnival committee collected £400. Last year, the street collection alone raised a record £2,050 for the Antony Nolan Trust.

Mr Watson said tomorrow's street collection will be for the Essex Air Ambulance.

Floats will assemble at 1pm in Lakes Road, before moving off at 2.30pm after judging, to travel across the town to the carnival arena at Meadowside, for all the fun of the fair.

Twenty children, aged eight to 13, who attended a carnival costume workshop run by carnival artist Chris Graham, will join the parade at the museum.

Their costumes will depict fashions of the decades, including the mini.

The theme of the procession will be Forty Floats for Forty Years with floats representing events from the years since the start of the carnival in 1964.

Attractions at the arena will include Witham Majorettes, Witham Twirlettes, "Spiderman", wrestling and Haurel and Lardy, a tribute to the legendary comic duo.

An evening attraction will be the Melton Mowbray Toy Soldiers Marching Display Band with a special lighting effect.

Presiding over the day will be the royal court of Carnival Queen Cheryl Hearn and princesses Marney Rolfe and Jessica Duarte.

Published Thursday, June 5, 2003

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