When Polly Morton had to cancel her mum’s surprise 50th birthday because of Covid, she was determined she would still celebrate in style.

In fact Poppy Morton, 24, gave her mother a birthday she will never forget - a carnival!

She organised friends, created masks of her mother’s face for people including her own children, to wear and and off they went.

Even Elvis Presley was there - a must for the adoring fan who fan who refer to herself as Shelvis Morton!

Poppy admitted that she was “shaking from start to finish.”

“In the first place we actually on a public road that had not been closed and I did worry about that. But there were no complaints.”

In fact, she said, people appeared to be wondering why all these cares with balloon were driving into a Kells road in Whitehaven at 5pm in the afternoon.

It took a couple of weeks to organise cars and masses of balloons, the masks and the people but she managed it in the end.

To add to the fun - or the chaos - there balloon full of confetti and a cannon that shot glitter around.

“My mother didn’t say much. I think she was just so shocked. She stood and cried!

“The people in the parade were all people who would have been at her surprise party.”

‘Elvis’, Connor Crossley gave Shelly a song and he and Dance Ranch member Bethany Guise danced for her - and for all the neighbours who turned up to see what was happening.

Every carnival has to have a queen. In this case it was Jason bell who dressed up like a true ‘princess’, tiara and all.

Poppy said she was delighted at how it all turned out and grateful to the friends who had helped give her mother the surprise of her life.

Poppy and her two children, joined Shelly for a quieter celebration in her garden after a surprise that surpassed any surprise birthday party that had been planned.

Now Poppy is wondering how to top that for Shelly’s 60th!