Hundreds of people headed along to Colchester Town Hall to take part in a traditional event

The Colchester Oyster Feast, which began back in 1845, saw plenty of well known faces attend one of the biggest community events in the calendar.

The Town Watch were on hand to welcome guests before the main act of oyster sampling got underway, with Colchester Mayor and Mayoress, Cllr Peter Chillingworth and Mrs Ann Chillingworth, having the first taste.

Other special guests present on Friday included representatives from Colchester’s twin town, Wetzlar, the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, Mrs Jenny Tolhurst, the High Sheriff of Essex B R H Burrough Esq, High Steward of Colchester Sir Bob Russell, and Essex County Council chairman John Jowers.

Mayor Chillingworth said: “I am enormously grateful to everyone who worked so diligently to make today’s Oyster Feast such a wonderful event.

“My special thanks must also go to the distinguished guest speakers, whose wit and erudition enlivened the occasion so brilliantly and helped make this ancient annual tradition truly unforgettable.”

On the other side of town, an alternative oyster feast was held at Greenstead Social Club in Blackthorne Avenue.

An estimated 100 people were served a fish and chips supper before taking part in a sing-song.

Bingo was also played throughout the afternoon and some lucky guests collected prizes from a raffle.

Councillor Dave Harris, who helped organise the feast with the help of the Colchester Retired Residents Association, said: “The day was all about inclusiveness and making sure everyone had a good time. This is a real community event which is very popular and the fact its been running so long shows how successful it has been.

Alan Abbot, who was one of the guests, added: “I was really looking forward to the day. It gives me a chance to get out and have a change of scene. I really enjoyed myself.”

The alternative feast was set up 35 years ago to offer pensioners and the elderly a different way of celebrating one of Colchester’s biggest traditions.