Cromer Pier boss steps in to save carnival prince and princess contest
Cromer Pier Pavilion ensured that the show went on as rain and a clash of bookings threatened to scupper the town's carnival prince and princess contest.
Organisers were left looking for a last-minute venue as poor weather ended plans to hold Sunday's contest on the pier forecourt - and back-up the Red Lion had doubled booked its function room.
But pier theatre manager Ian Hall stepped in to offer the venue, which was filled with 33 entrants for the princess competition and eight boys vying to be the prince - along with scores of hopeful friends and relatives.
A team of four judges narrowed them down to five each before choosing 11-year-old Morgan Reynolds from Overstrand as princess and Bailey Massingham, 11, from Cromer, as prince.
The pair win �25 each and will take part in a host of events before and during Cromer Carnival week in August - including the big parade on August 17.
Morgan and Bailey are the final members of the carnival royal family. They join junior attendants 12-year-old Lucy Overment and 14-year-old Erin Holroyd, senior attendant Hannah Lond-Caulk and Miss Cromer Lucy Royle.
Carnival chairman Tony Shipp was delighted with the turnout, and said: 'We must say a big thank you to Michelle Hedge, who organised these events for the first time this year.
Most Read
- 1 Prince Harry's ex marries north Norfolk hotelier
- 2 Weather warning as thunderstorms set to hit Norfolk
- 3 Fears over town gridlock as years of A11 improvement works begin
- 4 'Like a Halloween scene' - huge caterpillar webs engulf hedges
- 5 Villagers' anger after meadow is mowed causing 'destruction' of plants
- 6 'It's a nightmare' - Roadworks leave town 'gridlocked'
- 7 'We will always miss you' - tributes to QEH pharmacist who died in A47 crash
- 8 Norfolk glamping site with natural pool named among UK's best newcomers
- 9 Tractor being used for A11 roadworks had faulty brakes
- 10 Princess Anne waves from Range Rover after landing in Wisbech
'She had an unexpected problem when she found out the Red Lion was double-booked, but thankfully ian came to the rescue.'
