Showing posts with label sea shanties. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sea shanties. Show all posts

Saturday, 7 August 2010

Pirate Day - Hastings: World Record Amounts of Pirates!

Well, it's official... I am part of a Guinness World Record! The largest number of pirates in one place. As part of the annual pirate day event in Hastings Old Town, and due to the overwhelming success of last year's event, the organisers decided to go for the record. I was part of it all and so were an astonishing 6166 other swashbucklers! That's also not including the 400 people that left the record attempt area before the allotted time was up, and the thousands of people that could not be allowed into the area as it was so full! There were easily at least 8000 pirates and the queue to be counted blocked the main road and continued back into Rock'a'Nore...

There were some pretty impressive costumes, and I was amazed at just how many people turned up and got involved in the pirate themed fun! It made me quite proud of my town, and I love it when everyone joins in on a big scale with special events. The pirate fun started mid-morning, and, for some of the older rum-swilling pirates, went on well into the early hours of the morning!

There were some Pirates of the Caribbean look-a-likes that performed throughout the day with sword fights and posed for photos. The Johnny Depp AKA Captain Jack Sparrow look-a-like was really rather good, he could quite easily have passed as the real deal! I bumped into the look-a-like that evening (out of his Jack Sparrow costume) and troubled him for a photo... (please excuse my pirate beard stubble... I think I get a little bit too into it all!)

View of the world record pirate "holding pen" from the West hill

Check out some of my photos from the day!

Friday, 30 July 2010

On Friday the 6th of August.... Ye Be A Pirate! Arggh!


Last year, as part of Hastings Carnival Week, the Old Town held a pirate day. It was an absolutely huge success and the streets in the Old Town were full of swashbucklers and much fun was had by all! So, this year, on Friday 6th August will be the second Pirate Day in Hastings Old Town, and to make it bigger and better, the organisers are going for a world record. Yup! The Guinness world record for the most amount of pirates in one place (currently at around 1700 people).

Last year Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Barbosa and Will Turner re-enacted scenes from Pirates of the Caribbean with sword fights and all, and they will be back again this year. There will be children's entertainment in George Street including: hair braiding, face painting, treasure hunting and musicians.

At 1pm follow the sound of the drums to the beach where the Guinness World Record attempt will take place by the Lifeboat house. Followed by the pirate procession at 2pm that starts at the lifeboat house, finishing up at the end of the High street, led by Captain Jack Sparrow, Captain Barbosa, Will Turner and Elizabeth Swan. After the procession there will be a piratical barbecue accompanied by sea shanties. Needless to say, the Pirate Day will be the highlight of Carnival week and I cannot urge you all enough to don your best eye-patches, swords, pistols, tricorn hats, bandanas and parrots and get yourself into Hastings Old Town and join in with the piratey fun!

So, no matter who you are, no matter where you are...
on Friday 6th August...
You are a pirate!