Warwick Town Carnival was renamed Warwick Lions Fun Day this year, as no proper procession with floats was possible, mainly because of the arrival of the Olympic Torch the next day.
Events were confined to the arena in St Nicholas Park, where the local Air Cadets helped the Lions all day.
However, Lion President Peter Knights and the Carnival Princesses were driven in style by 2 horse drawn carriages to Northgate St. where they collected the Mayor, Councillor Mrs Elizabeth Higgins and took her back to the arena via the Market Place to publicise the Fun Day. They were accompanied all the way by Mr & Mrs David Lawrie in their splendid 1919 model T Ford car followed by the Lions Carnival trailer.
Another Carnival favourite, Jan Prymaka of JRCS Falconry managed to persuade most of his birds to work in the high wind which had destroyed a plastic gazebo at one of the arena entrances. He introduced the Mayor to his barn owl.
Lithe Liz from Fit 2 Dance soon had her dancers working hard and encouraged all comers to join them for a dance at the end. Before and after Fit 2 Dance, The Lions organised children's games including archery, foam pellet target shooting and a bouncy castle relay race
Hayley Laches of Taming Canines brought a horse transporter full of equipment to give the enthusiastic owners and their even more enthusiastic dogs a workout. Despite a sharp shower the audience stayed on to see the dogs tackle a course including a bridge, weaving between battens, a see-saw and a tunnel.
Lions Olympic medals were presented to children who won the various games. The Lions wish to thank their sponsors, Eternal Bride, who supplied the Princesses dresses, Tandy who supplied the public address system, Mr Karting and the companies who advertised in the Programme. Also Ben Day of Touch Radio, Keith Wedgebury of BBC CWR who helped judge the Carnival Queen Competition, One off Design who designed the Programme, St John Ambulance, and Raynet & Warwick District Council.
Next day July 1st, several Lions helped to marshal the route for the Olympic Torch.