We had a right royal reunion

9:17am Tuesday 8th January 2008

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TWO Hampshire carnival queens have been reunited more than four decades after they each wore the crown.

Looking back over the years of Titchfield's Bonfire Boys Carnival, Tessa Snelling and Janice Bunting had a surprise reunion when they bumped into each other at a nostalgic celebration of the popular community event.

The pair were Titchfield Carnival Queens in 1960 and 1961 and were among the many visitors who descended upon the village Parish Rooms to see memorabilia from the carnivals which have been held every year since the Second World War.

"It's marvellous to see it all," said Tessa, 70, who was carnival queen in 1961 when she was 24.

"I had such a good time with the carnival and it is quite sad that it is not as big today as it was."

Janice, 64, wore the queen's crown the year before when she was 17. She provided some of the memorabilia including a picture of her in her first carnival in 1946.

"My father was one of the carnival chairmen and my first involvement was in 1946 when my mother pushed me round in a pram.

"It is wonderful that so many people have come to see it all especially when we get former carnival queens together," she said.

Vice chairman of the Titchfield carnival committee, Mark Hussey said the event was a big success.

"We couldn't hold a carnival last year because of lack of funds but this event has shown just how important it is to many people," he said.

"It is a long standing community event for Titchfield which dates back to 1880. We have been holding lots of other fundraising events to raise money for our next carnival and we are definitely having one this year in October," he added.