Hundreds of people joined the celebrations as Ricky Week returned for the 61st time.

The popular community event kicked off with the colourful parade, where groups and organisations from across Three Rivers entered floats for this year’s event.

The parade featuring 19 different groups was "clapped and cheered" by hundreds of onlookers as it went through Rickmansworth.

High Street, Station Road, Northway and Church Street before it finished at the Bury Grounds.

Miss Rickmansworth and her two attendants, who were all from St Mary’s Church of England Primary School, Church Street, were crowned by the chairman of Three Rivers District Council to mark the start of Ricky Week.

After the parade, the Batchworth Sea Scouts took centre stage with the Grand Carnival Fete at the Bury Grounds, which featured a number of attractions, including a tug-of-war competition, a barbecue and a live band.

Tony Berry, chairman of The Rickmansworth Society, said: "It all went very well on Saturday. The weather was kind to us.

"The event brings a lot of the community together.

"When we had the carnival parade through Ricky High Street, it brought a lot of people out to watch it and then the fete at the Bury Grounds, which was organised by the Batchworth Sea Scouts, which was also well attended.

"A lot of people were looking around the place and saying ‘this is great’.

The West Hyde and Maple Cross Women’s Institute took the crown for the best organisation float in the parade.

The Rickmansworth and Chorleywood Guides and Brownies took the award for the best parade by young people, after their walk commemorating the suffragette movement and Maple Cross Junior School took the award for the best school float.

Mr Berry added: "We are now working towards the big Rickmansworth Festival.

"This festival started in 1993 with the first canal festival which was set up to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Act of Parliament that allowed the Grand Union Canal to be constructed.

"The first festival was held in 1993 and here we are with the Rickmansworth Festival 20 years later."

The festival will start at Rickmansworth Aquadrome on Saturday, May 16 and Sunday, May 17 and will take place between Batchworth and Stockers Locks and is described as the "finale of Ricky Week".

A number of other events have been set up during the week, including a lecture on the art and architecture of St Albans Abbey by the Rickmansworth Decorative and Fine Arts Society.

Friends of Watersmeet Film Society, Bury Lake Young Mariners and Rickmansworth Royal British Legion Bowls Club are also among those to take part.