HISTORY fans flocked to Blaenavon on Saturday to celebrate its World Heritage Day.

A day of family entertainment started in the late morning and continued into the afternoon.

Fortunately wet weather only disrupted the proceedings in the early afternoon and did not disrupt the highlight of the day, the heritage costume parade, which started from the top of Broad Street and proceeded through the town centre.

Blaenavon’s deputy mayor Cllr Gareth Davies said: “It has been excellent. We had three-quarters of an hour for rain and apart from that it’s been marvellous. I’ve been out and about all day.

“I think we had a bigger parade than last year and there were definitely hundreds of people there.”

The parade’s theme was Then and Now, focussing on technology and celebrating developments in the town’s history as well its importance in the iron and coal industries.

But others focussed on newer inventions – Cllr Davies said some taking part in the parade had embraced the present and dressed up as laptop computers.

Other attractions on display as part of the 14th World Heritage Day in the town, included a Green Goddess, a funfair, Victorian re-enactments, a Victorian photo booth, storytelling and a Punch and Judy show.

Local artists brought the World Heritage Day to life with school and community events, producing costumes, banners and also delivering samba drumming and dance workshops.

All of the stalls for the day sold out and staff from Big Pit held a Pop Up Museum with a number of mining themed objects.