SCHOOLCHILDREN paraded through a village wearing traditional bonnets to celebrate Easter.

Cerne Abbas First School held its Easter bonnet parade yesterday despite the wet weather.

Children from the school and its pre-school – Little Giants – walked to St Mary's Church wearing different coloured bonnets before heading to the village hall, where the winners of the best bonnets were chosen by a local artist.

During the parade, children and their teachers were joined by villagers and family members.

Antoinette Larkin, a parent, said: “It is a fantastic event and there has been a good turnout despite the weather. They were all pretty hardy – staff and the children. It’s lovely to do something like this.”

Jo Kick, whose grandchildren attend the school, said: “They all look lovely in their little bonnets. Everybody joins in, that is what the school is like here.”

Pauline Pires, a parent, said: “There is a lovely sense of fun and excitement. I would like to see it continue every year.”

This is the second time that the school has held an Easter bonnet parade and it was organised by the Friends of Cerne Abbas School (FOCAS).

Chairman of FOCAS, Katy Wall said: “It is a lovely old tradition which we have brought back to the village.

“The idea is that the children make a bonnet at home. They are joined tonight by the villagers, teachers and parents and will wander around the village before finishing at the village hall to award the best bonnets.

“Cerne Abbas has a reputation for holding on to traditions like this.”

Headteacher of Cerne Abbas First School, Catherine Cresswell said the school aims to be ‘part of the community.’

She explained: “It is a lovely event which brings family, friends and the community together. That is what we are about as a school. We aim to be part of the community. We are a small school with a big heart and like to do as much as we can.”

After the parade, the children sat quietly in the village hall, where there was a sea of colourful, quirky bonnets.

Artist Leonora Phelan, who runs Quince Art School, was given the task of picking the best bonnet.

She was thrilled to have been chosen as the competition’s judge and said all the children put a lot of effort into making their bonnets.

The winners were Catherine-Rose (Pre-school), Enid (Reception), Emily (Year 1), Florence (Year 2), Summer (Year 3), Jacob (Year 4).