Colourful convoy lights up Sunderland and South Shields seafront thanks to local car and van club

Sunderland’s Illuminations and Festival of Light had an additional sparkle last weekend thanks to the efforts of a local group of vehicle enthusiasts.
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In keeping with the city’s recent success of lighting up the dark autumnal nights, local club, VanCars, decided to create their own mobile light display by adorning their vehicles with a colourful array of fluorescent lights and driving in convoy from Marine Walk Car Park in Roker along the seafront to Ocean Beach Pleasure Park in South Shields.

In total, 15 vehicles took part, including vans and pick-up trucks which all had sound effects as a backdrop to their colourful convoy.

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Joint club founder and event organiser Michael Turner, who founded the group with Max Kitching, took part in his blue Mitsubishi L200 pick-up truck.

He said: “My van was lit up like a Christmas tree with amber, white and red light bars. My co-founder Max’s van was even more colourful with white, blue, red and amber lights. A lot of the vehicles also had spotlights and air horns."

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After meeting on Saturday (November 6) at the car park at 6pm, the convoy commenced at 10pm.

Michael, 27, who lives in Spennymoor, added: “Every year we go to an event in Blackpool but we wanted to create something closer to home. We picked the seafront at Sunderland because we waned somewhere similar with illuminations.

The cars and vans all lit up on the seafront.

Photograph: SBPromoVidsThe cars and vans all lit up on the seafront.

Photograph: SBPromoVids
The cars and vans all lit up on the seafront. Photograph: SBPromoVids
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"It’s nice to put something on for the public and a lot of people seemed to get a real buzz from it. People loved it. A lot of people were waving as we went by and taking videos.

"When we finished, a few members of the public came up and said they wished we could do it more often.”

People may soon get their wish as Michael is hoping to run another convoy early in the new year, although next time he hopes it will be even “bigger and better”.

The cars and vans in convoy between Sunderland and South Shields

Photograph: SBPromoVidsThe cars and vans in convoy between Sunderland and South Shields

Photograph: SBPromoVids
The cars and vans in convoy between Sunderland and South Shields Photograph: SBPromoVids

He said: “We want to establish an event here in Sunderland and South Shields which is similar to the annual display in Blackpool. This is our first event but we are going to contact the Council about hosting a bigger event for charity.

"Hopefully we will get the go ahead.”

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To help promote future events, the club enlisted the support of SBPromoVids to capture the convey on camera.

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Michael Turner's blue Mitsubishi L200 pick up truck which took part in the display.

Photograph: Michael TurnerMichael Turner's blue Mitsubishi L200 pick up truck which took part in the display.

Photograph: Michael Turner
Michael Turner's blue Mitsubishi L200 pick up truck which took part in the display. Photograph: Michael Turner

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