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SLIDESHOW: Headland carnival of colour
A SEA of colour washed over Hartlepool's Headland as hundreds pulled out all the stops by donning fabulous fancy dress costumes for an annual carnival that has been running for 86 years.
The Hartlepool Headland Carnival parade saw families flock to Middlegate dressed in an array of costumes from fairytale characters to Roy Chubby Brown, Mr Blobby and The Flintstones.
The Nutty Slack Race saw four contestants heave bags of coal weighing eight stone around a mile-long course.
Colin Temple, 34, from St Helen's Street, was first over the line completing the course from the old Headland Gate pub, in Northgate, along Durham Street and round to the front of the Borough Hall, in around seven minutes.
He said: "I'm shattered, but it was not as bad as last time I did it three years ago and came fourth."
Tim Coulter, 43, a coach for the Headland Boxing Club, came second while 19-year-old Newcastle lad Jonathan Bishop, whose grandmother
Jenny Cranston lives on the Headland, scooped third place.
Among the crowds was Captain Hook, aka Headland man Bob Robinson, 76, a retired joiner who has been coming to the carnival since 1946.
The father of three, granddad of five and great granddad of two, said: "I have been dressed up every single time. I missed two years in 1956 and 1958 when I was in the forces. I was a Royal Marine.
"Last year I was the oldest in the parade and my granddaughter, Lydia, was the youngest."
A group of four teenage crew members from Russian vessel The Mir were also checking out what the Headland had to offer.
Prizes were given out for an array of fancy dress winners and best float went to Vanessa's belly dancing group.
The event culminated in the flamboyant parade, starting in Church Walk and proceeding along Northgate, and including Hartlepool Flamingos, juvenile jazz band.
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Weather for Hartlepool
Thursday 09 February 2012
Today
Light sleet
Temperature: 0 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
