Richard Batson The search for Cromer's carnival queen is casting its net a bit further this year.The catchment area for would-be Miss Cromers is the dozen local parishes in the patch covered by the Poppyland Partnership.

Richard Batson

The search for Cromer's carnival queen is casting its net a bit further this year.

The catchment area for would-be Miss Cromers is the dozen local parishes in the patch covered by the Poppyland Partnership. It replaces the previous long-standing criteria of having to live within a four-mile radius of Cromer parish church.

Carnival chairman Tony Shipp said it made the boundaries clearer, after previous problems in places like Thorpe Market where part of the village qualified and part did not.

“You have to draw the line somewhere and this is more definite,” he added. The queen and attendants, who must be 17 or over, will be chosen at the Hotel de Paris on Friday, June 6, at 7.30pm. The junior attendants, aged 13-16, are picked at the Cottage function room on June 10 at 7pm, and the prince and princess, up to 12 years old, at the Pier Forecourt on June 15 at 3pm.

Entrants this year can come from Cromer, the Runtons, Overstrand, Sidestrand, Trimingham, Aylmerton, Felbrigg, Roughton, Northrepps, Sustead, Aldborough and Hanworth.

Carnival week, which begins on August 16, will again feature the Red Arrows on the main day, Wednesday, but with a 5pm display.

Anyone wanting to take part in the procession should fill in an entry form in the programmes which will be published in mid July and can be downloaded at www.cromercarnival.co.uk.