CENTURION Carnival Club was first formed in 1938 by a small group of local council workers who wanted a slice of the carnival action.

They originally went by the name of the Town Council Employees Carnival club but they decided on a name change to Centurion in 1984 after people mistook the name for meaning that the club was actually funded by Bridgwater Town Council.

Today the club is 25 members strong and to date they have won the prestigious Ker Cup five times and the top County Cup twice.

Centurion CC is also the only club to have won The Hopper Cup three times in a row at the Carnival Concerts.

Despite all this, club vice-chairperson and secretary Jan Miller said there is something else that makes the club proud to be part of carnival.

Jan said: “The club is proud to uphold Bridgwater's carnival tradition and our proudest moment is that we are one of the only two tableaux left in the town.

“This year we are doing Willow – the story is based on willow pattern china.”

Jan and fellow members Wendy Want and Pete Watts are celebrating an incredible 40 years of membership this year and they say they hope to do many more carnival seasons yet.

Aside from her own long-standing service to the club, Jan named mother and daughter team Steph and Natalie Lawrence as Centurion Carnival Club heroes.

She said: “These two ladies are not even members but they travel down fromthe other side of Taunton every week just to help out.”