Bumper Easter for Bridlington as the fine weather attracts thousands of visitors

Visitors enjoy a walk along Bridlington’s North Promenade. Photo courtesy of TCF Photography.

This Easter period was the first one for three years without any Covid restrictions and the good weather helped get this year’s season off to a great start.

Good crowds were witnessed along the promenades and the harbour with long queues of people waiting to board the Yorkshire Belle leisure cruiser.

People also visited Sewerby Hall and Gardens in good numbers to enjoy the traditional jousting.

People line up to board the Yorkshire Belle pleasure cruiser at the weekend. Photo courtesy of Aled Jones.

England’s number one jousting team from Nottingham brought 20 jousters to the venue, including the Black Knight and Sir Michael of York on Easter Sunday, enthralling the crowd with its horsemanship and weapons displays.

The event has long been a fixture in the Easter Adventures programme, but this was the first time since 2019 that jousting was able to take place.

Tim Norman, who is a councillor on both Bridlington Town Council and East Riding of Yorkshire Council, and the proprietor of the Royal Hotel in Bridlington, said: “The weekend was very busy.

“It was the usual Easter weekend where you cannot plan up until four days before.

A good crowd at Sewerby Hall’s jousting event. Photo by Richard Ponter.

“All of a sudden the weather forecast comes in and it’s absolutely banging with room bookings.

“The internet bookings went through the roof and phone calls as well.

“It was a really good weekend for business and the town. It was great to see so many people down the harbour, going out on the speedboats and pirate ship, it was just wonderful.

“As a whole I think that town businesses will have done really well.

Jousting action at Sewerby Hall. Photo by Richard Ponter.

“They were looking forward to an open Easter without Covid restrictions for the past three years and this was a massive opportunity to recoup something that they have missed.

“Although Covid is still around and people should be aware of social distancing, we want to see things get back to normal and people to make a profit after some tough times.

“If we can continue with this fantastic weather, there’s not a cloud in the sky, it’s tremendous, it could be a good year.

“If the weather is kind we hope to dissuade people from getting on airplanes and persuade them to come to the seaside.

“There has been problems at airports this year so there’s no better time to visit the Bridlington area.”