Christchurch Carnival, which is over a hundred years old, will be taking place this weekend, with a variety of events, including the traditional carnival procession arriving at the quay from Two Riversmeet car park.

"The fair and regatta as it was known then was born in 1909", said Julie Keeble, carnival chairman who is to retire after this year's event.

"It comprised of a travelling fun fair and rowing competitions along the River Stour. It has always taken place on the quay at the Quomps which was donated to the town by Lord Malmesbury in 1911".

Sixty years ago, in 1956 Christchurch Carnival was so popular it attracted the attention of a national newspaper who featured the event as a double picture spread.

"There's nothing like a carnival for turning a town inside out. Out comes the flags, out come the fancy dresses and out come the people in their thousands. They jam pavements, stand on walls and lean from windows and balconies to catch a first glimpse of the procession", said the Daily Sketch at the time.

Jean Ledbrook, a 21year old hair stylist from Christchurch was the carnival queen for that year.

"My mother put me forward for the carnival queen. I was unaware my photograph had been entered for the contest until I was asked to appear before the judges. I bought a special dress for it from a shop in Westover Road, Bournemouth, not far from where I worked as a hair stylist at the hair salon John Stewart's ", said Jean Cook ( nee Ledbrook ) who has happy memories of the event, and now has a family of her own and lives in Bournemouth.

Jean and four other finalists were paraded at Christchurch Regent Cinema in front of judges who included Nigel Nicolson, MP for Bournemouth East and Christchurch; Dawn of the Dawn Mannequin Academy and Mrs E Vincent, beautician for Lancome of Gale's Court hairdresser in Bournemouth.

Chosen as the carnival queen attendants were 16 year old Brockenhurst Grammar schoolgirl Pauline Povey and Avril Ware, 22, who worked at the Scintillex plastics factory. For all the girls it was the first time they had entered the competition.

"I was given a basket of fruit for winning the title and also received vouchers from Smiths the furniture shop in Christchurch which was owned by Cllr Ken Smith who was the Mayor of the town that year. I bought a coffee table with the vouchers", said Jean.

Midland-born Jean came to live in Christchurch with her parents and three other siblings at Somerford Road in 1950. Her father worked for the Furneaux builders. They had a float in the carnival.

Jean went to school in Christchurch for only four weeks before becoming a hairdresser apprentice for Randall's in Boscombe and then went on to work at John Stewart's, the well known hair salon on Westover Road.

The month following the carnival Jean got married at Christchurch Priory and they had their wedding reception at the Forest Barn Hotel on Lyndhurst Road, near Christchurch.

After leaving hairdressing to bring up her children, she worked for various firms, pubs, clubs and hospitals, altering curtains. Jean and her husband, who was a Bournemouth taxi driver for years, had four children. Sadly he died in 2006. Today Jean has 12 grandchildren and 16 great grandchildren, most of them live locally.

The carnival remained in the same format for many years until more people took up sailing as boats became more popular.

"The fireworks display attracted more boats to come up the Stour, making it impossible for the regatta and carnival to run at the same time", said Julie Keeble.

"Today the Christchurch Regatta is run on a different weekend and is organised by the rowing club. The carnival now takes place around the second week in August".

Over the years the carnival has managed to survive and adapt to change from being abandoned during wartime only to restart shortly after, being reborn in 1978 after a lapse of 15 years, to almost losing the carnival queen contest as it was seen too expensive and clashing with the town show held at the same time in the 1980s. Each time the carnival has bounced back bigger and better than the last and now runs for two days.

Sixty years ago when the Christchurch Carnival procession travelled along the high street with Jean Ledbrook and her attendants on a tableau covered in scores of colourful blooms arranged by members of the Christchurch and Highcliffe Floral Decoration Society, it is no wonder it got so much media attention.