REVIVING one of the biggest dates in Didcot’s calendar could be on the cards if the idea for a carnival gets enough support from residents.

Didcot Town Council has suggested three ideas to attract visitors to the town and to provide more things to do – they are reviving the town’s carnival, building a bandstand, and creating an area to play boules.

The council has asked for people’s thoughts on the ideas and, if they get enough positive feedback, one or all of the ideas could be budgeted for.

John Flood, leader of the town council, said: “Those are just suggestions that the town councillors themselves have made when we had a general brainstorm.

“They are not going to happen overnight but are things that might catch the imagination of the public and we want their reaction.

“We want to provide what people want, as opposed to what we think they want.”

The town council’s budget has already been set for this year and Mr Flood said that funds would not be available until next year.

Didcot’s carnival stopped more than 30 years ago.

Mr Flood said: “It would be a nice thing to revive as a summer thing – not to replace the street fair, but as a new thing.

“It was a real fixture on the calendar.”

Councillors have suggested that a bandstand could be built in Edmonds Park and that a boules area could be created outside the Civic Hall.

James Charman, chairman of a Didcot residents’ group, said: “The town is growing all of the time so we have to keep the interest going now that it’s developing so much.

“I think the carnival would be a good idea — the fair goes really well so I think a carnival could work too.”

“Edmonds Park is basically a youngsters’ park, so a bandstand would possibly go down well somewhere else.”

Ernest Powdrill, 91, of Ladygrove, said: “I like the idea of a bandstand. I think that we don’t get enough decent outside entertainment of that nature.”

It is not known how much the ideas could cost to implement, but Mr Flood said that this would be looked into depending on public reaction.

To comment on the ideas, call the town council on 01235 812637.