THEY are still very much youngsters, but they are very much becoming carnival veterans – take a bow Megan Norman and sisters Jessica and Jaclyn Dawe.

Megan and Jessica have been taking part in carnival for many years and they have been joined by Jessica’s younger sister Jaclyn in recent times and they are among those leading lights who are the future of the carnival.

The trio were voted the best overall in Saturday’s Ilminster Children’s Carnival with their entry entitled Flying Saucers.

They won the Chard and Ilminster News Cup for best overall, as well as the Federation Class category award for a group of three or more.

Oliver and Monica Newbery took the Chard and Ilminster News Cup for originality with their B&B entry, while the Sunny Ile Pre-School won the Tony Goverd Cup for Spirit of Carnival and Minions.

The Jewels of India – better known as Lucy May Brion, Owen Muckersie and Brooke and Harper Oliver – won the Barbara Lee Cup for best individual costume.

Crowds lined the streets of Ilminster town centre as the annual procession set off from the Ile Youth Centre, with the new Ilminster Majorettes making their first parade through the town.

Results: Class 1 – 1 Pretty Polly, Molly Hughes; 2 Little Miss Peacock, Lana Suckling; 3 Lady Peacock, Isabelle Winscombe; 4 Rainbow of Colour, Maisie Winscombe.

Class 2 - Single entry eight-years-old to 16-years-old on foot: No entries.

Class 3 – 1 The Great British Bake Off, Joseph and Thomas Sainsbury; 2 B&B, Oliver and Monica Newbery; 3 Munchies, Kurt Bennett and Lily Sell; 4 Minions, Megan and Holly Edwards.

Class 4 – 1 The Jewels of India, Lucy May Brion, Owen Muckersie, Brooke and Harper Oliver; 2 Indian Princesses, Millie and Megan Golder, Martha and Flora Godfrey, and Bella Viggers; 3 The Box Trolls, Jack, Finley and Florence Lewis.

Class 5 – 1 Feathered Friends, 1st and 2nd Ilminster Brownies and Rainbows; 3 Sunny Ile Minnions, Sunny Ile Pre-School.

Class 6 – 1 Carnival Spirit, Georgia Hounsell; 2 Rainbow Princess, Hannah Knight.

Class 7 – 1 To the Ball, Cooper Maddock, Abbie O’Donnell, Sienna and Leo Isaaccs, Calliope Scott, Kelsi Scott, Leah Coath, JJ Coath, Rebecca Mather, Sam Mather and Elana Elson.

Class 8 Joint 1 – Circus of Colour, Lorna Stephenson; and Woodland Spirit, Lily Cumming.

Class 9 – Federation Class Group of Three or more: 1 Flying Saucers, Megan Norman, Jessica and Jaclyn Dawe.

Cups: Originality – Chard and Ilminster News Cup: B&B, Oliver and Monica Newbery. Spirit of Carnival – Tony Goverd Cup: Minions, Sunny Ile Pre-School. Best overall individual costume – Barbara Lee Cup: The Jewels of India, Lucy May Brion, Owen Muckersie, Brooke and Harper Oliver. Overall – Chard and Ilminster News Cup (taken from first prize winners): Flying Saucers, Megan Norman, Jessica and Jaclyne Dawe.