THE Tyne Valley is renowned for special days in its annual calendar where communities can join together.

This week we take a look back at the Haltwhistle Carnival with a selection of photos from almost a decade ago.

Like many other years before and since, the 2013 carnival was a memorable one, with a procession of floats leading through the town to the carnival field at Bellister Haughs.

But the traditional event is steeped in history going back way before the new Millennium, yet many of the original features have remained constant.

When Nancy Brewis was crowned as Haltwhistle’s first ever carnival queen in 1936, she was quite rightly treated like Royalty for a day.

The peak of the event was perhaps the 1950s, when a clock went up on Main Street - with a dedication to Haltwhistle Carnival printed on its dial.

In the latter stages of the 20th century, the long-standing event took a breather, before being relaunched in fine style in 1989, by the Haltwhistle town twinning committee, to celebrate the town’s partnership with French town St Meen le Grande.

In 1991, a dedicated carnival committee was set up, and has continued to organise and raise funds for the event, with great success.

Speaking in 2013, Haltwhistle Carnival Chairman Michael Peacock gave an insight into the event, shortly before handing over the reins to his successor, Michael Glenwright.

He said: “We have a two week programme of events leading up to carnival day, and this creates a lot of excitement.

“The bunting goes up well in advance, and people know what is around the corner. It’s a special feeling. We are fortunate that we have a good team of volunteers. In some cases they organise their work patterns around getting things done, or running a tombola stall. The enthusiasm and commitment is tremendous. People spend months making floats and fancy dress outfits, or they will come out at midnight for a charity walk.

“The carnival and everything surrounding it is so popular nowadays, it is just as relevant as it was half a century ago.”