Redbridge Carnival organiser Wilson Chowdhry is planning a bigger and better event next year with a firework display to round it off.

Mr Chowdhry was celebrating getting the first steel pan band to play in the procession for 26 years this year as he made plans for 2011.

“When I began as organiser five years ago we starting searching for a steel pan band to play. It has taken us all this time to get that together, but it was so worth it.

“Five years ago when I picked up the festival it was a small event in the Prince of Wales pub car park.

“This year, we stopped the traffic as our procession moved through the streets of Ilford!”