Norwich's Lord Mayor has spoken of her delight at the colourful street procession that weaved its way through Norwich yesterday and the great crowds that turned out to watch.
'Absolutely amazing' was the way the Lord Mayor Judith Lubbock described the 2014 Lord Mayor's Street Procession which saw thousands of people line the streets to watch the parade of about 50 different floats featuring everything from gorillas to synchronised swimmers to a secret garden.
'There were great crowds, great flag-waving crowds and smiling faces. It was a really fantastic day for all the community,' Mrs Lubbock said, adding that it was wonderful that the procession was so varied with so many different types of organisations taking part.
'Seeing so many children take part was really heartening. It was wonderful to see so many young people participating,' she said.
Mrs Lubbock said she wanted to say a big thank to everyone involved and also all the spectators that came to watch, and that she hoped this year's procession would inspire even more people to take part next year.
The Sheriff of Norwich, William Armstrong, said: 'It was great fun. There is something uplifting and exhilarating about an event that brings everyone together and helps to create a real sense of community.
'The Lord Mayor's Celebration shows what a vibrant community Norwich is.'
He added: 'The crowds were amazing. It was wonderful. It was a great experience to see so many people of all ages getting together and having a great time. The standard of the floats was very high and people had clearly put a lot of hard work into them.'
Mr Armstrong is president of this year's civic charity, Cruse Bereavement Care, and he said he hoped the Lord Mayor's Celebration would raise lots of money for the good cause.
'Cruse does a wonderful job of supporting the bereaved. Raising funds will help us give more help to more people,' he said.
Brenda Arthur, leader of Norwich City Council, was one of the procession judges.
She said: 'I think it is really impressive what people have done to make these marvellous floats, and it was amazing to see so many people out on the streets to enjoy the procession.
'I would like to thank all of our staff, and the volunteers and businesses as well as the police and support services, who have all made it such a special day for the Lord Mayor and the whole city.'
The new Dean of Norwich, the Very Rev Jane Hedges, said: 'I thought the procession was absolutely wonderful. It was lovely to see such a huge range of people of all ages involved.
'It was so colourful and there was a great spirit among all the people in the procession and among all the people that were watching. Everybody was having a great time.'
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