SOUTHAMPTON'S maritime heritage was celebrated in a special festival at the weekend.

Thousands of people flocked to the city's waterfront Mayflower Park to see the variety of activities on offer at the Festival of the Oceans.

Parents relaxed in deckchairs while their off-spring enjoyed playing on a man-made beach that had been created specially for the festival using 40 tonnes of imported sand.

The event, which was part-funded by the Millennium Commission, was held to celebrate the city's strong links with the ocean, its rich maritime heritage and its future role as a major leisure and environmental centre.

The man-made beach, sand sculptures, a diving tank and a Russian tall ship were among the more unusual attractions at the festival.

Chris Packham, TV wildlife presenter and local resident, kicked off the event in front of local dignitaries on Friday.

He said he hoped that the festival would encourage people to help look after our oceans.

"It is high time that we focused on the life-blood of the city which is the Solent. Since the Middle Ages, Southampton has been built as a port and the water is our heritage.

"The ocean is seen as an environment which is neglected and has to be looked after locally as part of your environment," he said.

Over the three days visitors to the park could listen to story-telling inside a Turkish yurt tent, enjoy painting, or laugh at a traditional Punch and Judy show.

Organiser Sue Cheriton, Southampton City Council's events and entertainments manager, said: "It was a fun exhibition and fun activities event for grown-ups and children to raise awareness of some of the environmental issues relating to the oceans.

"We hope we showed people how to safeguard our future.

"Thousands of people visited it in the first two days, although Friday was a bit slow.

"The most popular things were the activity tent, the diving tank, the sand sculpture and the beach has been wonderful - we should have made it bigger.

"The festival has been fabulous and a great success."

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