A reflection on the Maritime festival which took Whitehaven by storm

In 1999 the people of Whitehaven were introduced to a harbourside festival on a massive scale. The event was put together by a committee and it was expected that only a few thousand would turn up. 

But on the first day of the festival, Whitehaven was brimming with tens of thousands of people. 

The festivals would continue for well over a decade and became an annual staple of the town's calendar. 

Gerard Richardson, who organised the events, reflected on his experiences. He said: "Back in the late 1990s I was looking at ways to promote the area and initially came up with the idea of bringing a tall ship to the harbour and theming it around pirates.

"By that evening I'd come up with a rough plan of what became the Maritime Festival."

A tall ship in the harbour (Image: Newsquest)

He explained that the first festival consisted of a BBC Radio Cumbria stage, food and drink stalls, street theatre, and a funfair. 

Over the years this grew to an even bigger scale with continental markets, live music from major musical acts, and appearances from celebrities. 

Mr Richardson continued: "The first Maritime was themed around the John Paul Jones story.

"I'd written to the US Embassy to pardon John Paul Jones as a humorous act. They agreed if we created some sort of document they'd send along a lieutenant."

A millennium canon fired on the harbour in 2011 for the Royal Wedding (Image: Newsquest)

In the coming years, a relationship would develop between the Whitehaven team and the US Navy. 

A military theme was kept a part of the festival for some time and there were many air shows on the harbourside involving military aircraft. 

One particular memory Gerard shared was when the Queen visited the harbour and witnessed an iconic RAF airshow. 

He said: "When the Queen visited and was touring the harbour the local vicar at the time, John Bannister, came to give a speech. 

"As soon as he had ended his talk to the crowd with the words 'God save the Queen', RAF jets flew through the sky which very much impressed the Queen."

An emotional moment during the festival's run came in 2010 when singer Katherine Jenkins performed a set dedicating a song to the victims of the Cumbrian shootings. 

The organisers decided the festival would still go ahead that summer and many people were touched by Katherine Jenkins' tribute to the town. 

Catherine Jenkins in 2010 (Image: Newsquest)

Over the years, the festivals became iconic for celebrity appearances with the likes of Louis Walsh and Dynamo the Magician taking part in the events. 

In particular, chefs became a well-known festival feature with a whole host of famous faces taking part from Gino D' Campo to Ainsley Harriott. 

Gerard shared a fond memory of the late Keith Floyd who had the crowds in roars of laughter during a show at St Nicholas' Gardens. 

During the 18 years of events, many people in Whitehaven will most certainly have some very touching memories of their own.