AN ISLE of Wight family has retained its distinguished title ­— taking home the Spirit of the Carnival award.

Characters from the Disney classic, Beauty and the Beast, were a familiar sight at Island carnivals this year thanks to a group of family and friends.

Awarded for their outstanding contribution, and for embodying the spirit of the Isle of Wight’s traditional carnivals, the Bloomfield family has retained the coveted award for the second year running.

The Spirit of Carnival award was introduced by the Gibbs family — the proprietors of several well-known Island pubs, as well as Arreton Barns, who have been actively involved in carnivals for many years ­and are known for their Spyglass pirate ship entry at Ventnor Carnival.

Andrew and Jane Gibbs said: “We are pleased to be able to support our local carnivals.

"The Island has such a vibrant heritage, it deserves all of our support, and we would encourage other local businesses to get involved."

Neil Gibbs said: “We wanted to create an award to celebrate the people and organisations that really get into the spirit of the occasion.

"Going forward, we want to encourage as many businesses as possible to get involved in our traditional carnivals, whether that be supporting through sponsorship, or even better, pulling together a float.”

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