Joan White from Charnage was the first Carnival Queen for Mere in 1932.  Her family still live in the area.  

We then used to have an old fashioned carnival that started at the Recreation Ground.  Many of the entries were “thrown together” at the last minute which added to the fun.  The Brownies with whom I am Assistant Guider used Colin Read’s Homestead Farm to build and decorate their entry on the morning of the procession.  The tractor was then washed after the day’s milking and farming and then used the same evening for the procession.  The fair used to be at Angel Lane in the field next to the Vicarage and has since been held in the fields at the Meads and  Manor Road. 
The children's fancy dress was always popular and this is still traditional in Mere.  Decorated trolleys and prams were popular entries during past years.   We used to attract a lot more Mere entries which have included The Mere 1982 gang – with many well known  local families building their entries. These included “The Old Woman that lived in the shoe” , Cleopatra and “Teatime in Tokyo”, Walton’s of Mere,    T.A.Y.S. which consisted of the Thorpe and Young families from Mere.    Mere Brownies,  Mere Guides,  Mere Rangers,  Mere Cubs and Scouts,  Mere Cat Scarers,  Merely Tipplers,  Jeans Electrical,   Lions Club of Gillingham Mere and Shaftesbury and their driving force for their entries from the late Ann Padfield (nee Tranter) and Tony Taylor driving their tractor for them.   Local entries that still participate today include the Mere Girlguiding and Jeans Electrical.

            The late David Chalke from F.J.Chalke Garages Mere brought the small lion cubs from Longleat to Mere in the 1960’s for the Carnival procession.