MINEHEAD celebrated its nautical heritage with a festival of swashbuckling seafaring fun and entertainment last weekend.

The sun shone brightly for the town's inaugural harbour festival, with organisers declaring the pirate-themed event a huge success.

Boat trips, a lifeboat launch, pirate party, produce market, arts and crafts, barbecue and live music were among the highlights of the extravaganza.

Jill Homewood, of the Minehead Events Group, who steered the shore-based celebrations, said it had been a huge success.

"There was a continual flow of people from the town to the harbour throughout the day," she said.

"Our pirate party with its pirate and mermaid workshops was enjoyed by over 200 children and raised funds for the Children's Hospice South West.

"The pirate band and sea shanties added rousing renditions of sea-going songs to the happy atmosphere."

Ms Homewood said Minehead Rotary Club members had especially entered into the spirit of the day, sporting full pirate costume.

Boat trips were also popular, with the RNLI launch, evening barbecue and live music attracting large crowds and raising a significant amount of money for the charity.

"The Minehead Events Group would like to thank everyone for their time, effort and enthusiasm," said Ms Homewood.

She said special thanks were due to harbourmaster Adam James, who was involved in much of the organisation, Charlie Kennedy who organised the pirate party and had the courage to have her head shaved for charity, Janine Hasell for running the workshops, Jo Watts for the pirate treasure trail and the volunteer who made and put up flags and bunting, bringing a truly festival feel to the historic setting.

But the shore-based activities were only part of the story.

Under the festival banner, young people from the YMCA and West Somerset College sailed the tall ship the Irene of Bridgwater across the Bristol Channel in a unique seafaring gesture.

The young crew, joined by Minehead Mayor Cllr Val Welch and Minehead visioning manager Stephen Hooper, sailed from Minehead to Barry carrying a symbolic hamper of goods from West Somerset.

The delegation was met by the Vale of Glamorgan youth service, who had collected a similar and reciprocal hamper of goods.

The Irene, which was built in 1907 and traded around the Bristol Channel and overseas, featured as the flag ship in the Hollywood blockbuster 'Pirates of the Caribbean.'

And last weekend it became the first trading vessel to carry goods from Minehead since 1959.

The ceremony to celebrate the heritage maritime links between the town and Barry was presided over by Cllr Welch and the mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan Margaret Wilkinson.

More than 40 businesses and producers contributed to the exchange, with the Welsh hamper donated to Minehead's Hope Centre.

The West Somerset hamper, which was raffled at the festival, raised £217 for the charity and was won by Paul Fenn.

Mr Hooper said: "The exchange was a great success.

"It highlighted the links between the two towns and the mutual interest in developing a closer cultural and economic relationship."

Festival organisers say plans are well underway to repeat the event next year.

Anyone interested in becoming involved in the organisation should contact Ms Homewood at the Minehead Information Centre on 01643 702624.

Photos: Steve Guscott (unless stated)