BURY'S premier headline annual event is back on the calendar!

For the Bury Times Group is helping to resurrect the town's popular carnival and is bringing it into the new millennium.

After an absence of one year, the stage is set to relaunch the carnival on Sunday, June 10 at Chesham Fields.

The Bury Times Group has stepped in to ensure the massive event, which had an unbroken run of 30 years before being scrapped, will be a major feature in the town again.

And it's all due to the dedication of Julie Wheeler, Bury Times Group special publications/events manager who is taking on the mammoth task of organising the carnival.

"I was very disappointed when the event was scrapped and I really missed it last year," said Julie. "I always thought it was a wonderful day out for all the family and the whole community."

She approached Bury Lions, which had run the event since its inception in the late 1960s, with a view to relaunching the event.

The club is acting in an advisory capacity after being forced to scrap the 2000 carnival because of dwindling numbers within their ranks, high insurance costs and concerns over stringent health and safety issues. Although the popular floats parade was abandoned after the 1996 carnival, the Lions continued to stage the gala before calling it a day.

Proceeds from this year's renewed Bury Carnival will be donated to the Lions to allow them to distribute the cash to deserving local groups.

Meanwhile, Julie is busily putting together a bumper programme. Entry to the carnival will be free.

Plans include:

Commercial and non-commercial stands on the field.

A seven-a-side schools football tournament.

Dog show and pet show.

Funfair.

Bob the Builder.

Talent Showcase/Line Dance Challenge.

Team Knockout Challenge for businesses.

A proposed 50-plus lifestyle exhibition in a marquee.

A Battle of the Bands competition featuring local rock groups.

Bury Times motor show.

American Wrestling Superstars.

A major on-field attraction.

"We want to make the carnival a really enjoyable day out for everyone in the town and to bring the community spirit back to Bury," added Julie.

Mr Mike Davis, president of Bury Lions, said: "We are obviously very pleased that a local company has come to the fore to enable the carnival to take place again. We had struggled for the last few years and to have a large company in the town like the Bury Times Group to come forward is a tremendous boost."

Bury Lions was formed in 1967 and when the club staged its first carnival two years later, Harold Wilson was Prime Minister and NASA were celebrating landing the first man on the moon.

The first event was staged at Woodfields, off Parkinson Street, and in 1970 it moved to Bolton Street. Subsequently, the venue for the annual event was Chesham Fields. However, in 1994 the carnival home reverted to Bury Ground at Castlecroft.