A CIRENCESTER man is asking for help to make his dream to bring back Cirencester Carnival become a reality.

The carnival was an annual event for many years, which included a procession of floats through the town, colourful costumes, and a music festival in the Abbey Grounds.

But the carnival has not taken place since Sunday July 10, 1994 because of a lack of support for its organising committee.

Now Mark Humphries has set up a new committee and wishes to hold a Cirencester Carnival in July 2018, with a week-long of festivities held in the run-up to the event.

Before Mr Humphries, can realise his dream he needs to ask for permission from authorities in the area such as Cotswolds District Council and Gloucestershire County Council.

And prior to submitting proposals to the authorities he wants residents to contact him with their ideas about what the carnival should include.

He said: “I think Cirencester needs it. Cirencester is a historic town. The carnival will bring everyone out and businesses will boom.

“It will be in three years because I will have to start from scratch.”

Mark said that in 2006, he revamped Frome Festival in Somerset and now it is a roaring success .

He explained that he is keen for people to tell him their ideas for the festival.

“I want to know what people want.

“I want to know what people want from a week long of festivities.”

Mr Humphries, a former taxi driver who is now unemployed, added that he needs a treasurer and a vice treasurer for his committee and is urging people too fill the vacancies.

During the last event in 1994, the then mayor of Cirencester Deryck Nash, urged more people to join the carnival committee through a loudspeaker but despite his plea the committee could not find enough new members and disbanded later that year.

Mr Nash, who is now a ward councillor for Chesterton on Cirencester Town Council, said he would be delighted to see the carnival come back to the town.

He said: “It was certainly a good day out, it would be great to revive it. Not sure when as we have got other festivals now such as the Cirencester Hare Festival and the Phoenix Festival.”

He explained that the committee could not continue anymore with the numbers it had.

He said: “The whole committee had got very tired and as often with these sort of things it started off with great intentions but it was left with one or two people to carry it on.

If you have any ideas for the carnival and would like to be the treasurer of the vice treasurer for its organising committee then email Mark at markhumphries94@yahoo.co.uk For more on the carnival visit www.facebook.com and search for Cirencester Carnival 2018.