Town’s merchant history celebrated at colourful festival

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

The event celebrates the town's membership of the Hanseatic League, a confederation of merchant guilds in Europe founded in 1358.

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

It began on Sunday with the Parade of Flags, which showcased the Hanseatic countries and was led by King's Lynn's 42F Squadron Air Cadets, setting off from the Tuesday Market Place and heading down the High Street onto the quayside.

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

The mayor of King's Lynn and West Norfolk, Nick Daubney, said: "The Hanse Festival celebrates everything we have to be proud of about our town - its history, people, cultural events, international links and stunning architecture.

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

"It draws people to the historic waterside and naturally focuses on the town's maritime past and its position as one of the country's most significant ports in medieval times."

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Children from local schools got involved, creating a procession of walking boats with merchant marks on their sails.

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in Kings Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)

Scenes from the 2019 Hanse Festival in King’s Lynn. Picture: Matthew Usher / BCKLWN. (Image: Matthew Usher Photography)