WATCH: Sunshine and smiles at Codsall Carnival
Blazing sunshine, beautifully decorated floats and a marching band - this year's Codsall Carnival had all the ingredients for a truly spectacular extravaganza.
The 46th renewal of the event was held in and around Codsall Village Hall on Saturday. It was organised by 1st Bilbrook Codsall Scout Group as a fundraiser for the group and other local charities.
And the sun shone brightly for the duration of the carnival, meaning sun hats and ice creams were very much the order of the day.
It stood in marked contrast to last year's event, where umbrellas were required as the heavens opened in the hours prior to the parade.
Around 2,000 people attended the event, the centrepiece of which is a contest to find the best float as the parade makes its way on a route down to Bilbrook and back.
And this year's 12 entries were some of the best seen in the parade's history.
First prize went to 4th Codsall Brownies who transformed a lorry into a giant Pirates of the Caribbean-style float featuring youngsters dressed up as Jack Sparrow and the rest of the gang and a crow's nest.
The 1st Bilbrook Codsall Scouts took second place with their Thunderbirds effort.
There was also a prize for the 'best walking exhibit', which went to a group of scouts in a yellow submarine who paraded to the soundtrack of the iconic Beatles tune.
Other floats included the Wizard of Oz, Secret Garden and the rather fitting 'a day at the beach'.
Youngsters from local youth groups and schools spent weeks preparing the floats, for what organiser Diane Head said has become a highly competitive contest.
"It's great fun and everyone puts so much effort into making sure their float looks as nice as possible," she said.
"Over the years I think it's definitely got a lot more competitive. My own group spent weeks painting and dressing our float, and like everyone else we like it when our hard work gets recognised."
South Staffordshire MP Gavin Williamson was on the panel of the judges for the competition.
"We certainly benefitted from the wonderful weather which helped to create a fantastic atmosphere," he said.
Stalls featuring a range of tasty treats did a roaring trade throughout the day, while some of the large crowd got into the spirit of things by dressing up in outlandish costumes - including two men dressed up as The Munsters.
