Rain fails to stop gig goers from enjoying one last party in the park

People travelled from across the North East to enjoy the sounds of Atomic Kitten, Heather Small and X Factor stars Sam Lavery and Rebecca Ferguson on Sunday.

The show was kicked off by South Shields ukulele player James Bassett.

It was the biggest gig the 14-year-old, a student at Harton Academy, has played in his home town.

The show was a proud and emotional moment for his parents Lisa and Peter Bassett. She said: “It was an excellent opportunity for James to play in his home town. It was more emotional than watching him play for the Queen, just because he is playing for people who have watched him grow up.”

The rain continued to fall throughout the show as Sam Lavery took to the stage, but that didn’t stop people from dancing and singing along. The singer was followed on stage by Rebecca Ferguson.

As the day went on, the sun finally managed to break through the clouds, helping to lift the spirit of the crowds even more as they sang along to a range of hits by Atomic Kitten including ‘Whole Again’, ‘Ladies Night’ and ‘The Tide is High’.

Headline act Heather Small continued the party atmosphere vibe with M People hits ‘One Night in Heaven’ ‘Proud’ and ‘Moving on Up’.

Rebecca Ingleby, from Haswell Village, County Durham, was at the Bents Park with friends.

She said: “It’s the first time we have all been here together. We all came to watch Atomic Kitten. It’s great - it’s really good.”

Jane O’Neil, from South Shields, was with friends and her grandchildren from Milton Keynes.

She said: “It’s brilliant. We come every year. It’s a shame about the rain, but you can’t let that put you off.”