First Summer Festival at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard is a '˜stunning success'

More than 10,000 visitors attended last week’s free three-day festival at Boathouse 4.

Summer Festival organiser Marian Smith said: ‘It was such a thrill to see all of these people coming into Boathouse 4 and exploring the boatyard, the Forgotten Craft exhibition upstairs and the Midships’ Cookhouse.

‘They seemed to be really taken with the traditional boatbuilding and Tudor shipwright skills being demonstrated, and the wonderful music and drama performances throughout the weekend.’

The opening day of the festival, on Friday, saw hundreds of visitors pour into the Historic Dockyard for the homecoming of HMS St Albans and to witness the launch of the Rally for Heroes.

John Rawlinson, director of visitor experience at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard, was thrilled with the festival.

‘It was a stunning 
weekend and we were delighted to see so many people interested in the Summer Festival – the atmosphere was superb throughout,’ he said.

A variety of activities, workshops and demonstrations with a focus on traditional and woodworking took place in the enormous boathouse.

There were also some musical performances and pyrotechnics in the Mast Pond outside Action Stations from the Portsmouth Model Display Boat Team.