Stacey to lead a royal line up (From Warrington Guardian)

Stacey to lead a royal line up

THINGS are looking bright for the summer in Davenham as preparations hot up for the annual village carnival.

Young hopefuls turned up at Davenham British Legion in their droves for the carnival queens and retinue selection, and the final decision has now been made.

Stacey O'Mahoney, 13, will be crowned as the village's 2005 carnival queen with 13-year-old Katie Kinsey as her lady in waiting.

The carnival princess has been named as nine-year-old Gabby Hodgson, rosebud will be seven-year-old Amber O'Brien and six-year-old Hannah Fryer will be the fairy queen.

This year, for the first time, a charity queen has been named by the carnival committee and eight-year-old Laura Eastwood will be involved in a variety of events and activities throughout the year to raise money for kidney research.

Sisters Nicola Eastwood and Michelle Savage have both been involved with organising the carnival for the past few years and they were very pleased with the selection event. Nicola, who has been a member of the committee for five years, said: "There were about 25 girls in total so it was a really good turnout."

Michelle, who will be helping to organise her ninth Davenham Carnival this year, said: "I think it was the best turnout ever.

"We usually struggle but this year there were about six girls for queen and three girls for each of the other categories."

The date for the carnival has been set as Saturday, June 18, and it will take place on Butcher's Stile field.

Davenham Parish Council agreed to let the carnival committee use the field on the provisional conditions that it is left clean and tidy, that the event finishes by 11pm and that the field is vacated by midnight out of consideration for neighbouring residents.