A CARNIVAL queen has received a crown. Or so it feels to Angela Pitt of Bewdley who was "surprised and delighted" at a phone call from the Mayoress informing her she had been awarded a civic accolade for her services to the town.

Mrs Pitt of Shaw Hedge Road is the only woman among five people to be honoured with the first batch of the newly installed Bewdley Civic Awards.

She has become a mainstay of the annual June carnival that has grown over the years to contribute not only to the community spirit in the town but also to give a major boost to the economy as a visitor attraction.

In addition it is an important fund-raising event for Bewdley charities. Last year well over £2,500 was distributed to good causes. Mrs Pitt, a Bewdley woman born and bred, has been secretary of the Bewdley Carnival Association for 14 years.

The work starts in October with locations needing to be booked, invitations going out to VIPs, plans being laid for the shop window competition, arranging stall-holders musicians and entertainers, finding judges for the floats and rallying sponsor money.

"I love the feeling of achievement. You get a buzz when everything comes together. It puts you on a high.

"It's very hard work. You start at 6am on the big day and the celebrations go on all week. But once it starts you forget all those worrying niggles that bothered you."

She points out she could not be in a more convenient position. She works in the town centre as a full-time cashier at the " tremendously supportive" Spar supermarket.

"It's just the right place because people can easily find me. They pop in to ask questions or, if I'm lucky, to offer to lend a hand."

Even the Tourist Information Centre across the road sends people over to see Mrs Pitt if there are questions to be answered about events in Bewdley.

Mrs Pitt also has great support from her family. Her daughter Liz, 28, does the typing, Sarah, 24, transports her non-driver mother around and husband Albert makes everything possible by answering the phone and helping with the chores.

The carnival was a triumph last year and promises extra sparkle this June because of the impetus of the millennium celebrations.

But Mrs Pitt admits the struggle to encourage people to offer ideas, put together floats and organise fund-raising events gets harder every year. But nothing will stop her being on one of her "highs" over the next 18 months. She will be celebrating her parents' golden wedding, her own 30th wedding anniversary and her elder daughter's marriage.