4:05pm Wednesday 27th August 2008
By Lois Avery
Feathers were flying in Malmesbury on Monday as a hundred people gathered for the annual pillow fight.
The unusual carnival event helps raise cash by giving people the chance to bash each other about with their own pillows.
More than 600 people turned up in 2005 to take a hit at one another and last year 350 pillow fighters were involved - but this year just 100 took part.
Although carnival organisers were disappointed with the turnout they still had plenty of feathers to clear up in St Aldhelm's Mead.
Sadly, they fell short of the current world record for the biggest pillow fight by more than 4,000 people.
Secretary of the carnival committee Frances Goldstone said: "It was a very disappointing turnout but we put it down to the bad weather and the fact that there were lots of other events going on over the bank holiday.
"But we had people turn up with their pillows and paid their 50p to have a go.
"The town crier rang a bell and then they thrashed the hell out of each other."
The pillow fight was one of the last events in the final week of the carnival calendar.
The festivities, which have lasted throughout August, will come to an end this weekend, with the carnival procession on Saturday which kicks off at 6pm in Park Road.
Councillor Patrick Goldstone praised the carnival committee's work, saying: "It has been wonderful. Nearly all of the events have been packed out.
"The wine tasting was great and full of lots of happy people.
"The only problem is that the committee have overstretched themselves.
"There's twice as much going on as previous years but they've got no extra help."
The committee is still in desperate need of volunteers to help steward the procession.
Anyone interested should contact the team on info@malmesburycarnival.co.uk or (01666) 823276.
The procession will begin at 6pm from Park Road and the judging of the floats will take place at 4pm in St Mary's Hall.
This year schools, playgroups, Scouts, the Athlestan Players, sports clubs and members of the public who have made their own props, will join the carnival procession.
The winners will be judged by Barbara Gale and Sue Davies from BBC Radio Wiltshire, Skip Walker, editor of the Wiltshire and Gloucestershire Standard and Ann Cornelius, managing director at Westlea Housing.
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