Global visitors enjoy town’s shanty festival

Hundreds of people descended on a seaside town on the first day of a three-day sea shanty festival.

People came from as far as Canada and the US to enjoy the not-for-profit event in Harwich, Essex, on Friday, festival chairman Mick Verrier said.

“We are the Harwich International Shanty Festival and we do our best to live up to the name,” he told BBC News outside a packed out Alma Inn, one of the venues playing live music.

By the end of the weekend, more than 40 traditional shanty acts will have performed in the town.

A man looking straight at the camera. He is wearing a navy hoodie with a green lanyard around his neck and a navy hat on his head. — Mick Verrier is a member of the festival’s committee [Elliot Deady/BBC]

“Sea shanties are work songs of the sea from 100 years or so ago and they’ve been in revival for the past 20 years or so as part of the folk revival,” Mr Verrier explained.

The annual event was first held in 2006 and Mr Verrier, who has lived in the town for about 20 years, said this year’s was the biggest yet.

It is organised by a committee of 10 people who work around the year, supported by up to 60 volunteers, with planning for the next edition already under way.

Follow Essex news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.