HARLEQUIN Carnival Club took the honours at Wellington on Saturday for the opening Carnival on this year’s South Somerset Circuit – but now all eyes are on this weekend’s colourful procession in Ilminster.

The Ilminster-based club captured the amazing imagination of the story Around the World in Eighty Days and Phileas Fogg’s trip around the planet.

Club members danced the streets away with a version of I’m a Wanderer – made famous by Status Quo – and they thrilled the crowds and the judges and some of them quite literally went “round and round and around.”

Harlequin’s Fogg’s World Tour won the feature category with Chard’s Eclipse CC as runners-up with Madagascar European’s Most Wanted.

They also won awards for best costumed float and best make-up.

Their big Ilminster rivals, Gemini Carnival Club, were not to be outdone however as they picked up a number of awards with their 2015 entry entitled Scott’s Terra Nova.

Gemini won the tableaux category with their float inspired by the true-life heroic Antarctic expedition of Captain Scott in 1912.

They also won the Spirit of Carnival Vase, but will be hoping to take top honours at this Saturday’s Ilminster Carnival.

Other local winners at Wellington Carnival last weekend included One Plus One CC and Medical Misfits, Zem CC and Me Ol Bamboo, Lily Cumming with Woodland Spirit, Cousins CC with Flying Saucers and Xtreme with Salute.

The carnival eyes will be heading to Ilminster this Saturday (October 3, 2015) with the annual procession setting off at 7.15pm from the assembly point at Bay Hill.

It will then move down into the centre of Ilminster via East Street and onto Silver Street.

The cavalcade will join up with the top road at High Street and move down Station Road before dispersing at the roundabout close to the Stonemason’s pub.

Wellington Carnival results from Saturday, September 26, 2015. Class 1 Feature – 1 Harlequin, Fogg’s World Tour; 2 Eclipse, Madagascar European’s Most Wanted.

Class 2 Tableaux – 1 Gemini, Scott’s Terra Nova; 2 Unicorn, VE Day.

Class 3 Comic – 1 One Plus One, Medical Misfits; 2 Harbourside, Funny Farm; 3 Poppe Inne, Shout.

Class 5 Open – 1 Zem, Me Ol Bamboo; 2 Generations, Toy Soldiers.

Class 6 Single Walker Adult – 1 A&A, I Robot; 2 Roger Muspratt-Hamilton, Bauta Vogue; 2 Jack, Ride to Rio.

Class 7 Single Walker Under-18 – 1 Lily Cumming, Woodland Spirit; 2 Rio Walsh, Draco Lanista; 3 Lorna Stephenson, Circus of Colour.

Class 8 Walking Pairs – 1 Dave and Lisa Arney, Lost in Time; 2 Inferno, Ain’t Afraid of No Ghost; 3 Megan and Holly Edwards, Minions.

Class 9 Walking Groups – 1 Cousins, Flying Saucers; 2 Wellington Pantomime, Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Class 10 Walking Open – 1 Xtreme, Salute; 2 Dee Gees, Scarecrow Rebellion.

Class 11 Trade – 1 Heart FM, 2 Oake Manor. Class 12 Local -1 RBL, Esmeralda.

Class 12 Local Walkers – 1 Nynehead Amataur Drama, Medley of Musicals; 2 James Gannicliff, Mickey and Friends.

Best costumed float – Harlequin, Fogg’s World Tour. Best make-up – Harlequin, Fogg’s World Tour. Best dressed driver – Eclipse, Madagascar Europe’s Most Wanted. Best Wellington entry – Wellington Pantomime, Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

Best children’s entry – Joint 1st Lily Cumming, Woodland Spirit, and Rio Welsh, Draco Lanista.

Spirit of Carnival Vase – Gemini, Scott’s Terra Nova. Spirit of Carnival Cup – Dee Gees, Scarecrows Rebellion. Majorettes – 1 Karizma, 2 Devon Dynamite. Best School – 1 Beech Grove Primary; 2 St John’s Primary. Carnival Queen’s Choice – Blue Anchor Majorettes, Exeter. Best international entry – Magic Wings, Torres Vedreas, Portugal.