Published on: Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Last updated: Tuesday, 17 September 2019
Greater Anglia’s Mayflower Line trains will ring with the sound of old sea shanties when singers and pirates jump aboard as part of the Harwich International Sea Shanty Festival, on Saturday 12 October.
Carriages on trains from Manningtree to Harwich will be decorated with a nautical theme with swash-buckling fun on board to encourage festival-goers to get to the event by train.
Children will receive an activity pack and a competition to name the whale and there will even be pirates on board!
The ‘Sea Shanty’ trains depart from Manningtree at 11.01am and 12.01pm on Saturday 12th October 2018. Tickets can be purchased via www.esscrp.org.uk
On reaching Harwich, festival goers will be treated to a huge choice of entertainment, much of it free of charge.
Shanty singers from all over the world converge on Harwich for this special weekend on 11 – 13 October and the town resounds with the sound of their singing.
There will be three days of concerts, historical re-enactments, pirates in Harwich, street theatre, maritime crafts, barge trips, workshops and music at venues throughout the town.
Greater Anglia’s Community and Customer Engagement Manager, Alan Neville, said, “We are delighted to get involved with this exciting festival which makes the most of Harwich’s maritime heritage. The Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership have pulled out all the stops to create a really fun atmosphere on board, making rail the perfect way to travel to the festival for children and adults alike.”
“Taking the train helps to reduce pollution in the town and helps to create a safer environment for the crowds that gather, with fewer vehicles causing congestion.”
More information and a full programme of events can be found at www.harwichshantyfestival.co.uk or www.esscrp.org.uk .