Hundreds of people joined in with a rousing finale of ‘Land of Hope and Glory’ and ‘Rule Britannia’ as four days of Seasongs and Shanties came to an end on the Green in Yarmouth on Sunday. A variety of acts including Cherly May, Sea Gels Shanty Band, Shalfleet Shanty Singers, Brighstone Barnacles, SHEshells, East Cowes Shanty and Wight Ukers took to the stage over the weekend.

Founder and organiser of the charity event, Chris Waddington, said: “It was fantastic and very patriotic to see so many Union Flags being waved by the crowd. We were so lucky with the weather over the weekend, when other parts of the country were flooded; it was a fabulous display all round.”

The climax of the event was a ‘Fantasia of Sea Songs’ led by the West Wight Slipshod Singers and narrated by Kevin Shaw. The story, in traditional songs, told of the days leading up to the victorious Battle of Trafalgar in 1805, with soloist, Jane Roberts, leading the crowd with the final two songs before the audience stood to sing the National Anthem.

The Slipshods’ musical director was Adrian Hudd, and keyboard player was Richard Hughes, with bugler, Glynis Marsh, whistle Tina Goode, and ‘The Sailor’s Hornpipe’ dancer Maureen Shaw.