Carnival fun hailed big success by departing Mayor

The carnival was the last major event to be led by the Lord Mayor of Hull, Coun Karen Woods, during her year in office.

It replaced the traditional Lord Mayor's Parade, which was cancelled in 2007 because of the summer floods, and Coun Woods said she hoped the event would be staged again.

"The support for this has been outstanding, with 500 people in the parade, and we've got the weather for it. If people would like to see it again we can hopefully look at repeating it."

Saturday's parade featured a dynamic array of entrants in 37 groups, mostly with an environment-friendly theme chosen by the mayor, with people walking, cycling, dancing and skating along the one-mile route.

It left Hull College in Queens Gardens just after noon led by the wailing bagpipes of the City of Hull Pipe Band.

The parade was complimented by stalls in Queen Victoria Square and activities for children and families in Queens Gardens, including wrestling, dancing, an Armed Forces bungee run, an inflatable assault course, and canoeing and kayaking events in the dock at Princes Quay.

One of the most colourful contributions came from a group of pirates from the Bristol-based Desperate Men Theatre Company – featuring Captain Clich, Black Eye Nell, Mr Mince and Billy Boy Fingers, who dubbed themselves Pirates of the Carry-bin to go with the "green" theme.

They had hoped to launch themselves into proceedings from a boat, but the exit and entry points were on the wrong side of the dock.

Coun Woods said she had enjoyed her year in office.