THE sun came out just in time for the Pokesdown and Boscombe Carnival this afternoon.


After a morning of driving rain and high winds, the colourful costumes worn by participants must have inspired the weather to cheer up.


And hundreds of people turned out to take part in the fun as the parade left Pokesdown Railway Station at 2pm.


Leading the procession were members of Samba Panache, including maestro Chris Masters-Bond.

 


He said: “After the parade has finished, we're off to play at the O2, so it's really brilliant.


“There are 15 of us here today and we're looking forward to starting.”


Erica Nash of medieval re-enactment society Wessex Household said: “We all live around the Bournemouth area, so it's really nice to come out and support events like these.


“We've been looking forward to it. We absolutely love taking part in community events as it means we can give something back.”


Mark Evans of The Bell in Pokesdown was joined by rescue puppy Lola to watch the parade go by.


The pub owner adopted the husky cross collie after 200 people signed a petition circulated by Sam Rose Lowney, who has worked at the bar for six years and wanted to prove that locals would welcome a four-legged friend. 


He said: “I'm loving today.


“It's been brilliant and we're having a great time.”


Councillor Phil Stanley-Watts also stopped to watch the procession.


“The weather is shining down on us - it's been a bit stormy, so I'm especially pleased there's sunshine,” he said.


“It's a fantastic event, a truly colourful carnival and a lot of people have come out to support it.”


The carnival was delayed by three weeks as organisers sought funding for road signs, but thanks to backing from the Coastal BID team, all went smoothly on the day.


All proceeds raised have been donated to pets charity PDSA.