Organisers of Dunmow Carnival want to hear how the annual event can be improved

Following a heated debate in the Broadcast’s letters page over the standard of this year’s Dunmow Carnival, the committee has called a public meeting to find out how it can be improved.

Organisers are asking residents to make their feelings heard after criticisms, which included a comment from Judith Roberts, of Willow Road, saying the procession was “the worst she had seen”, were raised in the paper.

Many revellers leapt to the defence of the carnival, which is held on the third Saturday of September, but the committee is welcoming the feedback.

David Beedle, chairman of field events committee for the carnival, said: “Due to the response in the Broadcast we thought ‘let’s hear what people have to say and find out what they want from the carnival’.

“We, the committee, are doing what we consider is suitable, while other people have other ideas and we want to know about them. We want to hold the meeting now while everyone is all fired up about it, not around Christmas when everyone has forgotten.”

The open meeting will be held at the Talberd Room, in Foakes Hall, Stortford Road, on Friday, October 24 at 7.30pm. And members of both the procession and field event committees will be attending to take on board the feedback.

Mr Beedle added: “I was not surprised by the comments because you cannot please everyone all of the time. I do not have a problem with what was said, we encourage these people to tell us what they want from the event. That is why we are doing this.

“The carnival is a very important part of our town’s yearly calender and we want to keep it the best in Essex.”