British Flag Carnival Club took the top award as the curtains closed tonight on the 2013 Bridgwater Carnival Concerts.
With their performance The Town of Titipu, the Bridgwater club won the prestigious White Hart Cup, which is awarded to the gang and feature gaining the highest number of points throughout the concert fortnight. This is the second time in three years the club, who are based at The British Flag pub, Chilton Street, have won the top prize at the annual concerts.
Laura Nicholson, chairman of British Flag CC, was delighted with the club’s success. She said: “We are absolutely thrilled with the results, and I would like to thank every person who has been involved with this year’s stage performance. It has been an amazing experience, and I am so proud to be in such a close club with the best group of people, who are all proud to be part of Bridgwater Carnival.”
Gremlins CC were overall runners up with Primitive and Renegades CC came third with Voodika. The tableau class was won by Wills CC with their entry Priscilla winning the Sam Hooper Cup,
There were two other awards for British Flag CC who also won the Millennium Cup for the best stage setting and the Suffragettes Cup for best costume. Another concert winner was Ramblers CC who won the Arthur Rainey Cup for best comic act, and the Reg Dyer Personality Cup for best stage personality went to Dean Webber, also from Ramblers CC. Centurion CC won the Les Manley Cup for most improved and solo singer Georgia Handel took the Judges Cup for best single vocalist, and the Bert Snook Rose Bowl for best under 17 front of curtain act. Best Foot Forward won the George Bown Cup for best song, dance, musical or novelty act, while Julia McDonald Dance Company won the Starkey Cup for their show Consider Yourself One Of Us.
Tonight’s performance brings the curtain town on a successful 2013 carnival concert fortnight, and was attended by many local dignitaries and sponsors, including Sedgemoor District Council chairman, Cllr Peter Downing, and Bridgwater Mayor, David Loveridge.
Dave Stokes, publicity officer for Bridgwater Guy Fawkes Carnival Committee, paid tribute to all of the entertainers. He said: “Every year the standard of the concert seems to get better and better, and it is great to know that we have so many talented individuals in Bridgwater.”
Carnival concerts have been held in the town since 1883 and the main sponsors for this year’s event were Gerber Juice Company Ltd and Arts Council England, with Somerset Car Sales sponsoring the tickets and Northcliffe Media sponsoring the souvenir programmes.
“We would like to take this opportunity to thank all of our sponsors for their generosity and continued support”, added Dave. “Without this invaluable help the concerts would not be as popular as they are.”
