Weird And Wonderful

But the vagaries of the English summer, including another shower as Sunday's programme drew to a close, failed to mask the sunshine of Hula Lula, the second annual LA Street Arts Festival.

Grass skirts, flower garlands and Hawaiian shirts helped to give the Oyster Pond a taste of paradise island.

And community arts group Radiator, from Hastings, created the darker side of the festival with a sinister character Toxarella and a creature from the deep, who rose, dramatically, out of the Oyster Pond at the event's close on Sunday.

Festival director Valerie Sturt was pleased with the weekend. "We see it as a success, something to build on in future years.

"The performers who came here, especially, could see the potential of the setting, which is an ideal venue."

Activities took place around the Oyster Pond, along Arun Parade and in the Harbour Park amusement complex, together with a special performance of Arun Youth Opera's The Green Lady, at the Windmill Theatre on Saturday night.

Bath-based Natural Theatre Company wandered around the festival site in a variety of guises, most notably as the Coneheads, four cranially elongated figures in raincoats, who took out cameras to snap anyone they thought looked out of the ordinary.

That probably included two giant budgerigars in an equally large cage, which they were able to drive up and down Arun Parade on a motorised chassis.

And if that wasn't strange enough, a deep-sea diver clomped his way around on dry land, serenading daytrippers with a mandolin.

Festival-goers had lots of opportunity to join in, too, making flower garlands, painting a totem pole, hula-hooping and learning to drum with carnival band Red Zebra.

Keith Croft hosted activities on the stage in Arun Parade, with prize competitions, music and dancing and Littlehampton story-teller Clive Price wove magical tales to enchant his listeners.

A mermaid's grotto was set up in the trees around the Oyster Pond, with a soundscape and recorded poetry readings.

And the mermaid emerged from her grotto to join in the festival parade on Sunday afternoon, joined by other performers, people who joined in workshops over the weekend and Red Zebra and their pupil drummers.

Award-winning cheerleaders, the Wick-etts, and dancers from the Wick-based Project 82, also joined in the procession.

The weekend event gave the Windmill Action Group an opportunity to highlight their campaign for the entertainment centre's future, and Spotlight children's theatre group showed just why the Windmill is such an important asset to the town.

Valerie hoped that more local groups would become involved with the festival next year, over the last weekend of July.

"The aim is to create an event which people can feel part of, and to encourage them to dress up and join in."

The whole event was filmed by Jamie Noakes, from Littlehampton, who will produce a short feature to promote the festival.

For more pictures from the weekend, see the Gazette, August 15.