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"Back to the future" was the theme. As floats decorated by energetic village organisations filled Lower Street for judging it was evident that this challenging quest had brought some novel solutions.

"Here today and next week - tomorrow" Ninfield Church of England School proclaimed, quixotically paraphrasing Toad with a float which reflected the school's end-of-term production of The Wind In The Willows.

Ninfield Scout Group transformed a VW split-screen camper into a futuristic laboratory-on-wheels.

High-tech aluminium gadgets took their cue from Scouting's badges - notably the Inventor's Badge.

White-coated boffins walked alongside as the Scouts marched off with first place in the children's section.

Judges Tony Sinclair and Sheila and Norman McCubbin had their work cut out choosing between the inventive interpretations of Back To The Future.

The school were second with The Wind In The Willows.

Ninfield Pre-School were third, the tots packing their "Cave, sweet cave" of a home with Jurrasic dinosaurs.

The children had painted their scary masks themselves.

Enterprising neighbours from Potmans Lane usually set the pace. They took first in the adult section with a hand-operated, belt-driven time machine.

A tailboard time-clock traced the years from Stone Age to the future.

Three to four weeks of work by a committee of seven had gone into this winner.

Friends and family had worked together to cage Ninfield Post Office's "Cave to rave" dancers in timber and tin-foil to boogie in procession from Lower Street, along Bexhill Road, Manchester Road, Coombe Lane and back to the recreation ground to an adult second place.

The Blacksmith's Inn's Olympic float took the games from their 776BC beginnings to the London of 2012 and a Ninfield Bronze.

Rick and Sandra Crittenden "regulars" included Alan Harmer as a latter-day Eddie the Eagle.



Puff! Hugh Clifton's 1906 Invicta steam engine chuffed the procession into action with the Ninfield Carnival Court in pride of place, Bexhill's court mid-field and the Kingfisher band from Eastbourne providing the marching music, Ninfield's Beaver Scouts "powering the future" and newly-formed Penhurst and Ashburnham New Theatrical Society - PANTS - complete with Ugly Sisters and Daisy the Cow publicising November's production of Cinderella.

Sightseers lined the procession route. The recreation ground offered all the fun of the fair from bouncy castle to Bexhill 100 Motoring Club and 1066 Hot Rod and Custom Car Club's classy line-up.

There was a fancy dress competition, barbecue, stalls and sideshows and the traditional strong man competition.

Carnival committee chairman Mark Saunders and his team had ferret-racing, a gun-dog scurry and live band Boogie Nights lined up for the crowd's entertainment.

Rain? What rain? The sun shone through the clouds to bring success to Ninfield's big community day of fun.