Umbrellas fill the streets

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Hastings Umbrella Parade is an event that people look forward to taking part in every year or just watching unfold on the side-lines. Marie Richardson, who took the wonderful photographs accompanying this article, said she loves to capture the “Hastings version of the Mardi Gras.”

Hastings Umbrella Parade

It is part of Hastings Fat Tuesday CIC which is a not-for-profit organisation based on the south coast delivering a year-round programme of events to support and showcase the local music scene in Hastings and St Leonards. This includes the flagship Fat Tuesday Music Festival which is now in its fourteenth year.

Sally Lampitt, Hastings Fat Tuesday CIC managing director said: “A firm favourite of Hastings Fat Tuesday is the umbrella parade. On Sunday, February 19 the streets of Hastings were teeming with colour, live music, dancers, and festival-goers of all ages. The day culminated in a free family-friendly preservation party for all. Families decorated their brollies in advance at a number of free workshops held across the town and in five primary schools in Bexhill, Hastings and St Leonards.

Hastings Umbrella Parade

“This year’s event saw more than a thousand umbrellas processing along the seafront from St Leonards to Hastings White Rock Theatre, supported by the sounds of Mr Wilson’s Second Liners and the Fat Tuesday Youth Second Line band. Alongside this was a fabulous display from the Brazilian dancers and Dende Drummers, and bringing up the rear in style were local group Sambalanco. With the sun out, the music loud and umbrellas a-plenty we couldn’t have asked for a better day!”

Image Credits: Marie Richardson , Brian Bailey .

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