VISITORS to the region enjoyed activities over the weekend to celebrate St George's Day.

More than 1,500 people were at Scarborough Castle, North Yorkshire, to see a group of historic re-enactors play skittles, give drill practice and take part in a tug-of-war.

A troop of actors thrilled the crowds with their performances of a play depicting the legend of St George and the Dragon.

Site supervisor Kieron Middleton said the events were a huge success.

He added: "It has been an absolutely brilliant weekend. The weather has been extremely kind to us and St George has slain the dragon no less than two times."

Worshippers at a church in Sedgefield, County Durham, were able to celebrate St George's Day with a new flag, following a donation from a local business.

St Edmund's Church has used the same flag for its festivities for several years, but Co-op Funeral Services provided a new one this year.

It was hoisted above the church on Saturday, in time for the official patron saint's day yesterday, by church warden Brian Mutch and the funeral service's assistant manager, Jenette Sisson.

She said: "We donated the cross to St Edmund's Church to replace the old one, which had seen better days."

On the banks of the River Tyne, the day was celebrated with a festival of traditional English dancing.

Morris, rapper, sword, clog and other traditional dancing troops from across the region took part in the St George's Day Dance Out, at Baltic Square, Gateshead.

The colourful display featured dances from several English traditions, with children's clog performers also taking part.

Jean Smith, of event organiser, of The Morris Federation, said: "We are using St George's Day to remind people of their traditional English roots and to celebrate them, particularly the wide variety of traditional dance."

She said it also gave enthusiasts a chance to celebrate the success of the campaign to exclude traditional dances from falling under the terms of the 2003 Licensing Act.

It means venues are exempt from the requirement to be licensed when staging traditional dance events.

The Dance Out was followed by another time-honoured English tradition, as the events of the day were enthused over at a nearby watering hole.