GREATEST SHOW IN TOWN AT FEAST
Stilt-walkers, superheroes, and even the new Doctor Who dazzled the crowds at Houghton Feast Parade at the weekend.
Hundreds of people lined Newbottle Street as the parade took half an hour to wend its way through the town centre.
This year’s Feast is taking on a movie theme – The Greatest Show.
And the parade certainly lived up to the billing, with a range of local community organisations, nurseries and sports teams all taking part, led off by Houghton-le-Spring Pipes and Drum Band.
There was even a miniature circus steam train, towing cages full of (friendly) wild animals.
And no Houghton Feast parade would be complete without an array of stunning vehicles.
This year saw vintage and classic cars and lorries – including a silver DeLorean, complete with Marty McFly and a pint-size Doc Brown, and Del Boy’s famous yellow Robin Reliant.
There were dozens of motorbikes, huge American trucks and massive HGV tractor units thrilling the crowds with a blast of their horns.
Yesterday saw Geek Feast, an indoor TV, movie, game and comic convention, take place at the town’s sports centre.
Wearside-raised Coronation Street star Melanie Hill was the guest of honour alongside characters from blockbuster films such as Chewbacca, Kylo Ren and Stormtroopers from Star Wars as well as the Incredible Hulk.
Melanie, best known for playing Cathy Matthews in Manchester-based soap, took part in a Q&A session on her career, during which she discussed her appearances in Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, Bread and working with legendary Robert De Niro in 2007 film Stardust.
Organiser Paul Lanagan, who is chairman of Houghton Heritage Society, says that the event has been set up to help keep the Feast as popular as ever.
Melanie told the Echo: “Paul spoke to me about coming along and I was really happy to be involved.
“The people putting this together have all worked so hard and it’s great seeing all some of them in their costumes.
“It’s really refreshing seeing how everyone comes together for the Feast.”
Paul added: “The Feast is in a time of change now and we need to do events like this could fund next year’s Geek Feast too.
“It has gone even better than we could’ve hoped. “A lot of us haven’t had much sleep over the last few days, but people have really pulled together.
“It’s been brilliant and probably the best one in years.”
Houghton Feast events continue today with the traditional roasting of the ox ceremony at Rectory Park at 4pm before a fireworks spectacular at Durham Road Playing Fields at 7.30pm.