Biggest fish festival ever!

Cap'n Keast, on harmonica, serenades visitors to this year's festival as they make their way over one of the old stone bridges that allow access to Newlyn... a visitor checks out the model of the orginal Mystery that is upstairs in the Mission's museum...

one of 100 local scouts on the gates that worked so hard on the day of the festival, a big thank you goes out to them for their continued support....
here's one of dozens of volunteers on the day with important jobs like handing out free festival programmes to visitors....

there were huge numbers this year helped by the dull start to the day - many seen here gathered in front of the sound stage listening to a range of local artists - from several sessions by soul band, Heart 'n Soul to the Rum and Shrub Shanty Men and, the much acclaimed, National Youth Champions, Camborne Youth Band - a star xylophone player featured amongst their number....
large audiences watched a rolling programme of fish cooking from Seafish - spider crab courtesy of WH Harvey & Sons.....
outside, Dick Edes entertained a constant crowd with the art of withy pot making - catch Dick if you missed him at the Newquay Fish Festival in a few weeks time......
general view of the entertainment section....
some youngsters were able to make their own length of rope on the Falmouth National Maritime Museum's stand under the tutellage of their education staff....
Mithe Howell, from the Pilchard Works hands out samples for tasting - local producers sold or gave away huge quantities of fish and fish samples throughout the day - Seafoodandeatit had no problem shifting all their shellfush products including the whelks.....
delicious aromas emanated from the pots on the Little Cornish Curry Company stand and attracted a constant stream of hungry punters....
always attracting the attention of kids and adults alike, the monk or anglerfish has a 'fishing rod' over its head to attract its supper as demonstrated here on the Responsible Fishing Scheme's stand courtesy of Drew Davis and crew...
Crystal Sea II skipper and better half turn were kept busy prepping tasters on the Seafood Cornwall stand.....
while the Cornish Sardine boys were out in force this year selling 1000s of grilled sardines in baps...
Mervyn kept the kids amused with his 'mobile' school of dolphins playing alongside the boat....
later in the afternoon, fish merchant Robin Turner extracted huge sums of money for the Mission from visitors with his charismatic auctioneering style.....
main event of the day, Keith Dixon, Mission Skipper blesses the Spirit of Mystery in front of a huge crowd....
with a few words from skipper, Pete Goss.....
and when the sun eventually came out, hundreds soaked up the atmosphere outside the Dolphin and Swordfish pubs.