AN inaugural rum festival delighted drinkers on the quayside of a North-East town last weekend.

Organised by The National Museum of the Royal Navy (NMRN) Hartlepool, the festival was attended by hundreds of visitors who sampled a wide variety of rum brands, which included Alnwick, Pusser’s, English Spirit and Old J Spiced Rum, as well as a variety of rum-inspired cocktails.

Staff at the museum also delivered cannon and musket displays, and masterclasses about the history of rum and the Royal Navy on the mess deck of HMS Trincomalee, Europe’s oldest warship still afloat, which is located at the NMRN Hartlepool site.

Entertainment over the course of the event was provided by musicians The Endeavours, The White Negroes, as well as Pek & Wanley.

The NMRN took the decision to bring the event up North, following a rum festival held at its Portsmouth site, and following the success of the Hartlepool event, organisers say there is potential for future festivals to be held in the town.

Rachel Shepherd, events manager at The National Museum of the Royal Navy, said: “We were delighted that so many people came along to our first Rum Festival here in the North-East.

"We appreciated in particular, the local support and now that we know we have an audience for this, we are looking forward to next year and growing the event to become an annual fixture in our calendar.

"I’d like to thank the volunteers, staff, performers and, of course, the various rum companies who took part and worked extremely hard to ensure it was a success.

"We have lots of feedback to use in our planning for next year and already have lots of ideas."