Meet our One Summer's Day photo competition winner

Little Danny Ward helped dad Gary to net the top prize in our One Summer's Day competition after the keen photographer captured this image of the toddler watching anglers on Roker Pier.
Gary Ward sent us this snap of little Danny's reaction to seeing the mackerel being caught on Roker Pier.Gary Ward sent us this snap of little Danny's reaction to seeing the mackerel being caught on Roker Pier.
Gary Ward sent us this snap of little Danny's reaction to seeing the mackerel being caught on Roker Pier.

We were inundated with entries to our photo contest, which aimed to capture images of readers having fun in the summer sun.

More than 400 of you submitted snaps and although there was some stiff competition, Gary’s image of Danny, two, was the most popular with our judges in the office.

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Gary and wife Gemma had taken children Danny and sister Lexi, six, along to the newly-reopened Roker Pier to see the anglers reeling in mackerel.

It was the first time Danny had seen fishing up close and Gary managed to capture this adorable picture of his reaction. Gary, a postman from Washington, said: “It was a nice day so we took them along to Roker Pier as I knew there was people out fishing for mackerel. Danny has never seen anything like it before so this was his face when he saw them bringing the mackerel in. He’s a big fan of the TV show Ben and Holly and he kept saying it was Big Bad Barry, which is a fish in the show.”

The dad-of-two is a keen amateur photographer and has a Facebook page - Ward Photography - for his shots, but this one of Danny was taken on his phone.

We teamed up with Specsavers in Washington for the competition and Gary has won a pair of designer sunglasses of his choice from the store, up to the value of £125. Claire Elliott, store director at Specsavers in Washington says: “We are thrilled to be teaming up with the Sunderland Echo on One Summer’s Day.”

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As well as the sunglasses, Gary’s photo will be entered into the national One Summer’s Day final, which has been running across all the titles in our newspaper group. The best from across the country will be featured in i newspaper.

Joy Yates, Johnston Press North East Editorial Director, said: “The response from our audience to the One Summer’s Day request for your photographs was amazing. The quality of photography was outstanding and it was lovely to view everything from family beach days out to landmarks across our community.

“Thank you to everyone who joined in and congratulations to our winner whose photograph will now go forward with others from our sister titles across Johnston Press to be considered for publication in our national title, the i.”