Let the rain stop the 1981 carnival? Not a chance!

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When Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer wed in July 1981, we all knew it would be a splendid affair. The only thing which could possibly have spoiled it was the weather.

It was, after all, the height of summer, so the chances are it would rain.

We needn’t have worried, though, as every drop of rain being stored up by those treacherous clouds had been dropped on Crawley six weeks earlier.

Or at least, that’s how it felt.

It had been carnival day and a host of fun events had been planned – and promptly washed out.

Take the novelty dog show, for example. That would have been fun. But with West Green playing field waterlogged, the poor pooches never found out which one of them had the friendliest, waggiest tail or which one had the loudest bark.

The six which braved the rain were all given prizes simply for showing up – including Haggis, who belonged to Alexander and Oliver Cruickshank.

The gymnastics and karate also got the chop, as did the sheepdog demonstration.