Sunderland's Penshaw Bowl scrapped for 2024 due to waterlogging

Families will miss out on one of Sunderland's best-loved Easter traditions after Penshaw Bowl organisers announced the event cannot go ahead this year due to poor ground conditions.

The annual event, which has moved to Herrington Country Park in recent years, was due to take place on Tuesday, April 2.

However, prolonged spells of rain in recent weeks have left the site boggy in places.

Sunderland City Council said a site inspection carried out this week confirmed issues with the areas used for event parking and water beginning to pool in the areas used for bowling and activities. Marion Dixon, assistant director of Regulatory Services at Sunderland City Council, said: "We're really sorry about having to cancel this year's Penshaw Bowl, I know it's an event that lots of families enjoy and look forward to. "But the current ground conditions on site combined with the weather forecast for more rain over the coming week means that it just wouldn't be safe to go ahead, especially with all the family activities planned on site.

"The safety and enjoyment of all those coming along to the event has to be our prime focus. It's disappointing news, but we hope everyone will understand why we have had to take this decision given the incredibly wet weather we've seen of late and continued poor weather forecast."

Traditionally, the event took pace on Penshaw Hill each Maundy Thursday - the day before Good Friday.

However, after bad weather and poor ground conditions regularly led to the event being cancelled, organisers decided to move the bowl - which saw children seeing how far they could throw their paste eggs - to the neighbouring country park.

The timing of the event has also become subject to change in recent years, and is no longer rigidly set for Maundy Thursday, flexing to fit in with school holidays, or with working parents in mind.

To find out about other things to do this Easter visit: www.mysunderland.co.uk