Gerald Wills Cup
Inscribed: Presented to the Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival by Gerald Wills M.P. in 1948.
Awarded for: Procession - 1st position - Feature 5 or more on foot - Bridgwater Only.
Up until 1978 the cup was awarded to entrants Mounted or on Foot.
There was amendment in 2000 that entrants in this class must obtain 4th position or above to be awarded this cup.
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| 1948 | New Nation Health Service Scheme | Crowpill Sports Club, Bridgwater |
| 1949 | Circus comes to Town | Crowpill Sports Club, Bridgwater |
| 1950 | New Sports Stadium | Crowpill Sports Club, Bridgwater |
| 1951 | Band Contest | Crowpill Sports Club, Bridgwater |
| 1952 | The Wedding of the Hop-Legged Family | Crowpill Sports Club, Bridgwater |
| 1953 | The Cornhill Stalls-where do we go from here? | Crowpill Club, Bridgwater |
| 1954 | Roman Ruins in our Car Park | The Parrett Bores, Bridgwater |
| 1955 | Sheiks of Araby | Bull & Butcher Club, Bridgwater |
| 1956 | The Bull Head Hunters | Bull & Butcher Club, Bridgwater |
| 1957 | Launching the Satellite | Kings Arms Club, Bridgwater |
| 1958 | Harlem Globe Trotters | Shell Mex & BP C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1959 | Quantock Trail | Shellsparks Club, Bridgwater |
| 1960 | Not Awarded | |
| 1961 | Parrett Mutiny - Blythe in Charge | Shellsparks Club, Bridgwater |
| 1962 | Tramps Annual Dinner | E. Pitman & Co., Bridgwater |
| 1963 | A Street in our Town (Road Works) | Bunch of Grapes C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1964 | Beverly Hillbillies come to Town | Shellsparks Club, Bridgwater |
| 1965 | Three Wheels on My Wagon | Shellsparks Club, Bridgwater |
| 1966 | The Greatest Courtship of the Year Chi-Chi An-An | Shellsparks Club, Bridgwater |
| 1967 | The Fore Street Pram Jam | Golden Lion Old Boys, Bridgwater |
| 1968 | Doorknockers Dilemma | Shellsparks Club, Bridgwater |
| 1969 | Gulliver in the Year 2001 | Griffens C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1970 | Bridgwater Cows | Shellsparks Club, Bridgwater |
| 1971 | Barney Bullfrogs Big Band | Griffens C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1972 | The Runaway Train | Griffens C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1973 | Gnomeward Bound | Griffens C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1974 | Monk-ee Nuts Cinderfellers | POPS C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1975 | Around the World in 80 Years | POPS C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1976 | Not awarded | |
| 1977 | Keep Britian Tidy * | Mrs D. Soper, Devon |
| 1978 | Goldie Locks and the Three Bears | M.A. Thorne, Bridgwater |
| 1979 | Clowning Around | L.& G. Dalley, C.& D. Pope & A. Gannicott, Bridgwater |
| 1980 | Merlin and his Magicians | B. Dalley & Co., Bridgwater |
| 1981 | BUnny Fun Time | Bob Dalley, Bridgwater |
| 1982 | The Horrible | Robert Chidgey, Bridgwater |
| 1983 | The Ramblers Roses ** | |
| 1984 | RAOB Reflexibles | Robin A. Peach & Co., Bridgwater |
| 1985 | Big Martha's Mississippi Morris Maids | Merv's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1986 | Barbadian Bouncing Batting Babies | Merv's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1987 | Merv's Magical Minstrels | Merv's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1988= | Tee'd Off | Mohicans C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1988= | Rhino's | Merv's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1989 | Betty Woods Dancing Team | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1990 | The Voodoo Warriors | Odd Jobs C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1991 | Synchronised Swimming | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1992 | Classical European Tour | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1993 | Wilf's go West | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1994 | Le tunnel de Change | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1995 | Mac Wilf's Hunt for Nessie | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1996 | A Funny thing happened | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1997 | Angels | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1998 | Basil Flatley and Dancers | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 1999 | Ten Years seems a Millenium | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 2000 | Match of the Day | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 2001 | M&M Plus One | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 2002 | Not Awarded | |
| 2003 | Not Awarded | |
| 2004 | Not Awarded | |
| 2005 | Mamma's & Pappa's | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 2006 | Not Awarded | |
| 2007 | After All These Years Wilf's Come Out Of The Closet | Wilf's C.C., Bridgwater |
| 2008 | The Betty Woods Former Pupils Formation Dance team Too | Wilfs C.C., Bridgwater |
| 2009 | Warbling This Melody In H Two Oh | Wilfs C.C., Bridgwater |
| 2010 | This Is Not A Wind-Up, It's The Wilfs | Wilfs C.C., Bridgwater |
| 2011 | WILF Airways would you Fly in this Fokker! | Wilfs C.C., Bridgwater |
*1977 - Although this cup is to be awarded to people living in Bridgwater, it appears that in 1977 the cup was engraved to a Mrs D. Soper of Ashburton in South Devon.
There were no Bridgwater entrants for this class in the Carnival Programme, and the Bridgwater Mercury records Mrs Soper as winning the Gerald Wills Cup.
The Carnival Committee minutes recorded:- "A query had arisen over this years award of the Gerald Wills Cup. Only one entrant, Mrs Soper from Ashburton, Devon, had entered in the Comic Feature on foot class, and the cup and 1st prize had been awarded to her. The secretary had subsequently ascertained that she was in fact a Single Masquerader and should have entered in Class 9. The secretary had written to Mrs Soper but she felt the award should still stand, although she was willing to forfeit the cup as it should be awarded to an entry from the Bridgwater Borough only. After consideration the committee agreed to give Mrs Soper the £15 prize money and the cup would not be awarded this year". The cup may not have been awarded but it had been engraved as the winner being 'Keep Britain Tidy' entered by Mrs Soper.
**1983 - In 1983 the entry engraved on the cup as the winners were 'The Ramblers Roses', the Bridgwater Mercury reports the winner being Helen Pond (Bridgwater) with 'Comedy Tonight'. Neither entrant is recorded in the Carnival Programme.
