Fancy dress and floats could be making a comeback in Brampton – and plans to revive the town’s carnival have brought about a spark of excitement.

It’s been nine years since the once-popular carnival folded because of a lack of enthusiasm in the town.

But now a group of locals are pulling their ideas together and aim to get a committee up and running in time to bring back the event next summer.

Adam Ramsey, who manages the Nags Head pub in Market Place, said they’ve had a lot of positive feedback but they need a few more people on board to make up the committee.

He said: “We really want to reach out to people in Brampton and say: ‘Come on, get on board and make it happen’.

“Without some sort of committee and people supporting us, it won’t work.

“But there are enough people out there that are wanting it to work.

“We need to start working now if we want it in August next year because obviously there’s a lot of things we’ll be needing to do.”

He explained that licensing and road closures as well as risk assessments and health and safety all need to be considered.

Brampton Carnival traditionally took place on the Sunday before the August bank holiday.

It was revived in the 1990s by Brampton parish council, which ran it for a number of years, and at its peak was a fun-filled, entertaining event for everyone in the town.

The committee held regular meetings throughout the year, along with various fundraising events.

The council said it cost about £10,000, depending on entertainment, and that grants were required to make it possible.

It stopped because the parade was largely made up of floats from committee members, only one pub – The Shoulder of Mutton – and people walking, even though the committee offered grants for people to do floats.

Brampton Festival was launched after the summer carnival was abandoned.

It also aimed to fill the void left by Brampton Live after it was cancelled a couple of years later.

But by 2012, the festival itself struggled to secure sponsorship and acts to take part.

Adam thinks there’s now a level of support to revive the carnival because people have started to miss it.

He added: “When I first came to this town full time in December I said there’s something missing.

“I’ve seen the Christmas thing – and I want to get on board with that because I think we can do so much more for the town with that Christmas Festival.

“It’s just there and people disappear.

“The amount of people that come for that alone – there’s thousands – for the turning on of the lights, I think if they’ve got a carnival in this town, it would be amazing.”

Adam, formerly of Fort William, set himself a project to bring back the carnival and now needs a committee of about eight to 10 people, including a treasurer, and people to help with funding, to make it happen.

He expects that in the first year it will cost about £3,000, including a road closure, and then after than it’s hoped it will becoming self supporting.

He is appealing for people to get in touch on 07887 706100 or to contact the Nags Head on 016977 42548.