PENHILL needs its carnival back and former committee member Glynis Hales has welcomed signs that the event is ready to spring back into life.

Social media has been awash with signs of activity for the event, as a tight band of die-hard carnies seek more help to bring the occasion back.

A meeting of the Penhill Carnival Group will take place at 5pm in 91 Corsham Road this afternoon, where residents, groups and businesses are urged to get involved.

A recruitment and promotional event has already been arranged for September 6, in order to test the water ahead of the real thing in 2015.

“Everybody in Penhill wants the carnival back,” said Glynis, who was a committee member in 2011 and 2012.

“It’s just a difficult thing trying to get people to come along and help out, even if it’s just one hour a month.

“It brings the whole community together. The parade goes around the whole of Penhill Drive.

“It brings the schools together and in the past the majorettes have been a big part of it.

“There’s the orchard too, which is involved. There are sorts of bits going on in Penhill, which go in the parade.

“It’s a celebration of what’s going on in Penhill. It’s a big old party. More often than not it ends in the Deers Leap.

“The first year we brought it back, in 2011, we extended it to a week of events.

“We would make use of the groups and clubs doing sessions in Penhill and they would do them as normal, but with something a bit different and special for the carnival.”

The event was cancelled in July last year when Eddie Hawkins, one of the final two remaining committee members, stood down.

It had been due to run on August 24 but, with too few volunteers offering to help, it was ended.

This afternoon’s meeting will be used to gauge support for the carnival.

“It’s been two years since the last one and before we brought it back in 2011 there had been a 17-year gap since the last one,” said Glynis.

“Unfortunately, last year they just couldn’t get the thing together because John Moulton Hall was going through changes, CLIC had disbanded, and it was just difficult to get the group together.”

September’s event will not see the return of the full parade, given the red tape required to pass that through safely.

If anyone would like to get involved with the carnival’s committee, they can be contacted via email at penhillcarnivalgroup@gmail.com