Ferndown carnival fun pole dancing… but no bunting!

POLE dancing, superheroes and marching bands were the highlights of this year’s Ferndown Carnival.

Around 800 people took part in a spectacular procession through the town with floats including Polz Apart, which runs local pole dancing exercise classes and St Mary’s Church, who donned superheroes outfits.

The ban on bunting from the carnival failed to dampen spirits with more than 6,000 people turning up to watch.

Organisers said they were “delighted” with the £1,048 raised from the event, which will be split between 40 local charities.

The procession marched for around one mile through streets, finishing at St George V field off Church Road.

The fun continued on the field with stalls from organisations including the scouts and guides, Dorset Wildlife Trust, Cats Protection, The Alzheimers Society, Waggy Tails and Polz Apart.

And music lovers were thrilled by Robbie Williams tribute act Lee Pashley, who performed in the centre of the field, and the antics of Bournemouth Carnival Band, who dressed as Spidermen. Children had fun on quad bikes.

Gail Hunter-Warburton, one of the carnival’s organisers, said: “We had a fantastic day and we were extremely lucky with the weather.

“We didn’t get to have any bunting. We had a huge amount of people come up and say it was absolutely ridiculous.

“We had a few more walking entries this year. St Mary’s Church float stood out and the vicar was dressed as Superman.”

“There was such a crowd around the pole dancing. There were girls showing people how to pole dance and there were people up to the age of eighty having a go. It is really good exercise and not sleazy.

A last minute hitch meant there was no beer tent on the field this year but its absence made it more of a family event, added Gail.

“It didn’t mar the day and people seemed to stay longer. We might not even have one next year. It was so family-orientated,” she said.