MANEA Gala promised much and delivered more with a parade drenched in mid summer heat and providing a visually stunning display of good natured, beautifully turned out floats.
The hard working committee members who spent months preparing for this should be congratulated for devising a spectacular show deserving of the warm applause that it received.
It was a parade that drew an eclectic mix of floats which put together, catapulted Manea into the X Factor finale of village carnivals.
From vintage to modern tractors, from scooters to Scanias, from furiously pedalling ice cream vendors to hand drawn vintage fire pumps, it was a cavalcade of riches.
And if favourites there had to be, surely the Newfoundland dogs were up there with the best of them.
The dogs belong to a society formed 24 years ago to preserve their breed but more importantly to always be there to put on a show. Their fund raising for charity is legendary, for example each December they pull Christmas trees for customers in Thetford Forest and take them back to people's cars for a donation.
The floats too oozed pride and passion- and reflected much hard work and preparation.
Though The Stig looked surprisingly comfortable in his car, as did MP Steve Barclay who 'hitched' a carnival ride in a Bentley, in reality it was the kids wot won it.
They embraced the parade in substantial numbers, ensuring no doubt a gala first begun in 1954 is in good hands for the next generation or two of Manea villagers.
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