Amazing New Year message appears in the sand at Roker Beach to welcome in 2022 at Sunderland seafront

Photographer John Alderson snapped the message, along with a number of other happy scenes, on New Year’s Day morning.

He said: “Micheal from Seaham and his young son did a great job with that greeting in the sand. Great buzz around the seafront yesterday morning.”

New Year’s Day swimmers, riders and a beautiful sunrise were among the beautiful images John captured of the first morning in 2022 at the seafront.

The happy scenes give hope for a better 2022 as the pandemic enters its third year, and the Omicron variant threatens more difficult times ahead.

But hopes are high that 2022 will be a more ‘normal’ year which will see Covid-19 diminish.

There are also big plans for Sunderland, with a raft of new venues due to open their doors and projects underway as the city’s regeneration continues.

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