It rained non-stop all day but this year’s Chobham Carnival was far from a wash-out.

All the entrants arrived to take part in a soggy procession through the village, watched by hundreds of people resisting the awful weather.

The carnival’s arena entertainment had to be reduced because of the slippery surface but there were more stalls and sideshows than ever before and plenty of smiling faces around the recreation ground.

“Our takings will obviously less than usual but we want to say a huge thank you to the procession entrants, the stallholders and the performers and, of course, the crowds who put on coats and wellies and came out to support the carnival.”

The procession judge, Surrey Heath Mayor Pat Tedder, decided the overall procession winners were West Byfleet Guides and Brownies, who had dozens of dinosaurs large and small in their group.

Coworth Flexlands School built a life-size depiction of a terrifying prehistoric sea monster to win the prize for the best walking entry and St Lawrence Primary School’s mini-smoking volcano took the best young people trophy.

The weather was too wet for Horsell-based Prime Acrobatics to stage their display but the Punch and Judy was moved indoors to the Parish Pavilion for two shows.

A large contingent from Chobham and Dorking Rock Choir staged an energetic performance wearing plastic cagoules – after gamely singing out loud in the procession.

Motorcycle riders from the Stannage stunt team were not deterred by the weather as they zoomed up ramps and through balls of fire – and jumped over carnival association secretary Jenny Warren’s car.