Water Orton Carnival Committee is a non profit making voluntary organisation that also raises money for local good causes.
An annual event for many years, the Carnival dates back to the early 1900s and the current Carnival as we know it began in 1967 and ran consecutively for 52 years until COVID 19 got in the way for 2 years. Things were restarted in 2022 with a Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Event and 2023 saw the return to the full Carnival once again.
Water Orton and Castle Bromwich Carnival, 30th June 1951.
Village Carnival 1948. Queen: Jean Orton. Attendants: Gillian Watson, Josephine Hornbuckle, Betty Moseley & Blanche Cooper
All of the old programme covers and years are shown below, with the exception of 1967, 1969, 1970, 1971 and 1972, so if you have any copies of these lurking in your attic, please get in touch as we would love to add them to this history page for posterity.
Thanks to Colin Green for supplying much of the information for this page.
The Carnival Over the Years
1967
Stella Hinsley was the Beauty Queen and ‘Miss Mod’, with her attendants being Lynette Georgeson and Linda Gough. Leslie Dunn was the TV personality, whilst former Aston Villa chairman Sir William Dudgale judged the piano smashing contest. There were 40 side shows and over 700 people attended. What happened to ‘The Origin’ beat group and Water Orton’s own DJ Memphis?! The chairman of the Fete Committee was Mr E.J Rusk and all of the proceeds went to the church spire fund.
Source: Coleshill Chronicle and Coleshill Library.
1968
Queen: Pauline Stanton
Attendants: Susan Freeman,
Lorraine Broadley & Glenys Jones
Chair: Jack Emery
1973
Queen: Susan Morrall
Chair: Roy Baker
1974
Queen: Louise Greensall
Chair: Jack Emery
1975
Queen: Janet Haywood
Attendants: Louise Greensall,
Jane Sartorious, Lorraine Croot
Chair: Jack Emery
1976
Queen: Denise Brookes
Chair: John Chatterley
1977 – Queen’s Silver Jubilee Year
Miss Personality: Sue Sidwell
1978
Queen: Judith Nicholls
Chair: John Chatterly
1979
Queen: Lindsey Slowley
Chair: Mike Sadler
1980
Queen: Carol House
Attendants: Serena Barlow, Rachel Elvis, Alison McMinn, Joanne Slowley, Louise Spiers
Chair: Tony Kettle
1981
Queen: Lisa Dunn
Attendants: Sara Hayes, Andrea Mould, Stephanie Russon, Kelly Truman
Chair: Tony Kettle
1982
Queen: Julie Bonsall
Attendants: Sam Gessey, Hannah Showell, Samantha Slowley, Julie Curtis
Chair: Tony Kettle
1983
Queen: Elizabeth Watts
Attendants: Michelle King, Julie Parry, Sarah Allsop, Claire Gould
Chair: Steve Fennell
1984
Queen: Samantha Kettle
Attendants: Helen Simms, Jodie Manton, Emma Pestridge, Claire Robinson
Chair: Geoff Arnold
1985
No queen, six Princesses
Chair: Glynn Edwards
1986
Queen: Claire Pratt
Attendants: Beth Carey, Charlotte Bailey, Rebecca Crane, Katie Weston
Chair: Dave Winton
1987
Queen: Jeannine Burbridge
Attendants: Sophie Bakewell, Samantha Adams, Victoria Bourne, Sally-Dee Walker
Chair: Dave Winton
1988
Queen: Sarah Scrivens
Attendants: Sarah Price, Joanne Busst, Kate Reynolds, Rachel Way
Chair: Val Jones
1989
Queen: Julie Roberts
Deputy: Amy Wallace
Princesses: Gemma Round, Sally Cox
Chair: Val Jones
1990
Queen: Louise Roberts
Princesses: Anita Adams, Kristie Johnson, Samantha Jesson
Chair: Val Jones
1991
Queen: Lisa Alderwick
Princesses: Nicole Michaela, Laura Moore, Emma Harris, Kelly Morris
Chair: Tony Nash
1992
Queen: Cheryl Deeley
Princesses: Dominie Farrell, Hayley Selway, Lisa Alcock, Kay Alsop
Chair: Tony Nash
1993
Queen: Anita Adams
Princesses: Kate Spencer, Holly Cooke, Elizabeth Spencer, Jemma Saunders
Princes: Ryan Walker, Mathew Nelson
Chair: Mike Williams
1994
Queen: Rebecca Jane Charles
Princesses: Jennifer Ho, Danielle Tingey
Princes: Jonathen Ho, James Williams
Chair: Mike Williams
1995
Queen: Claire Morgan
Princesses: Hanna Green, Emma Green, Kara Jeromes
Prince: Scott Edwards
Chair: Mike Williams
1996
Queen: Sarah Griffiths
Princesses: Louise Dawes, Tara Young
Princes: Marc Green, Dale Smith, Edward Fennell
Chairperson: Andy Smith
1997
Queen: Joanne Busst
Princesses: Eleanor Fennell, Rachel Hadley, Charlotte Stockton, Casey Rowley
Chairperson: Andy Smith
1998
Queen: Joanne Busst
Princesses: Eleanor Fennell, Rachel Hadley, Charlotte Stockton, Casey Rowley
Chair: Andy Smith
1999
Queen: Pamela Danks
Princesses: Sarah Smith, Grace Taylor, Louise Ann Lee, Elena Howard, Charlotte Hadley, Paige Johnson
Chair: Andy Smith
2000
Queen: Hayley Selway
Princesses: Katy Murgatroyd, Olivia Brandreth, Ellen Jayne Finch (flowergirl)
Prince: Matthew Belcher
Chair: Andy Smith
2001
Queen: Emma Green
Princesses: Tabitha Jones, Katie Young, Lucy Hinks
Chair: Andy Smith
2002
Queen: Laura Mowatt
Princesses: Victoria Mytton, Ellenor Collins
Chair: Andy Smith
2003
Queen: Charlotte Fox
Princesses: Sally-Ann Hobbs, Olivia Burgess, Sophie Williams, Elise Boyle
Chair: Andy Smith
2004
Queen: Lorna Bamford
Princesses: Kate Sherward, Paige Morgan, Laura Wakefield
Prince: Huseyin Gocerili
Chair: Ken Paton
2005
Queen: Claire Wakelam
Princesses: Anwen Thomas, Olivia Williams, Kharis Brown, Hannah Smyth
Chair: Ken Paton
2006
Queen: Leanne Palmer
Princesses: Charlotte Richards, Elena Howard
Prince: Daniel McKinley, Connor Ryan
Chair: Ken Paton
2007
Queen: Stella Hinsley (Also queen in 1967 – 40 year anniversary)
Princesses: Alisha Lumsden, Georgia Lumsden, Amy Statham, Olivia Reeves
Prince: Josh Statham
Chair: Ken Paton
2008
Queen: Jamie Lee Price
Princesses: Daisy McManus, Jess Collins, Millie Johnson, Megan Boyce
Princes: Jack Johns, Louie Boyce
Chair: Ken Paton
2009
Queen: Gemma Hurley
Princesses: Isabella Rose Carpenter, Mollie Louise Richardson
Princess: Harry Sharrard, Mason Williams
Chair: Keith Brown
2010
Queen: Georgia Stocker
Princesses: Kiera Nally, Maci Taylor, Lucy Hewlett, Chloe Richards
Chair: Keith Brown
2011
Queen: Sophie Penfold
Princesses: Gracie Ritson, Georgi Parker, Bella Lloyd
Chair: Rob Kimberlee
2012
Queen: Sophie Penfold
Princesses: Gracie Ritson, Georgi Parker, Bella Lloyd
Chair: Rob Kimberlee
2013
Queen: Joanna Vizor
Princesses: Brianna Taylor Bird, Grace Rowland, Lia Burns
Prince: Thomas Digennaro
Chair: Andrew Dorgan
2014
Queen: Jessica Collins
Princesses: Seren James, Madison Grace Milburn, Katie Digennaro, Antonia Rowley, Kacey Dawn Leese, Faye Milburn
Chair: Andrew Dorgan
2015
Queen: Abbie Forbes
Princesses: Darcey Hodgins, Ebony Shand
Princes: Dominic Barker, Jack Patrick
Chair: Andrew Dorgan
2016
Queen: Georgia Barker
Princesses: Grace Bedford, Bethany Aucott
Princes: Finley Baker-Yearwood, Aiden Digennaro
Chair: Andrew Dorgan
2017 – Fifty Consecutive Years
Queen: Lizzie Fisher
Princesses: Ruby Sharrard, Eva Perkins, Nancy Lee, Sophie Mahon
Princes: Joseph Powell, James Fisher
Chair: Martin Scambler
2018
Queen: Violet Maria Lee
Princesses: Ariella Savage, Jessica Powell, Sophie Reynolds
Princes: David (DJ) Smeaton
Chair: Martin Scambler
2019
Queen: Rosie Molloy
Princesses: Maggie-Mae Wager, Maisy McCoy
Princes: Roman Wager, Harry Wooton
Chair: Martin Scambler
2020
Cancelled due to COVID 19
2021
Cancelled due to COVID 19
2022
No Carnival, but the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Event took place instead.
Chair: Simon Harrison
2023
Queen: Scarlett James
Princesses: Cherri-Marie Hughes, Florence Milburn
Princes: Matthew Hughes
Chair: Simon Harrison
The Carnival is aware that sadly not all of the names listed here will still be with us, but felt it was important to celebrate and remember our past Carnival royalty and chairs. They sincerely hope that this does not cause offence to anyone.