IN PICTURES: school holiday crowd cheers on Albany International Folk ‘n Shanty Festival annual tug of war

The Albany International Folk ‘n Shanty Festival held their annual tug of war competition at the Albany Boatshed on Sunday morning, with the school holidays bringing an enthusiastic crowd. Families and supporters of all ages took advantage of the cloudless winter day after a week of clouds and rain to get down to the Albany Boatshed and cheer on teams from Albany, Kalgoorlie, Esperance, and Tasmania in the annual tug of war contest. The much-loved event raises money for the Telethon Kids’ Health Institute, and the beach below the Boatshed was packed with supporters. The Albany Pipe Band set the scene for this year’s Scottish-themed festival with their bagpipes and drums, and continued playing throughout the morning as new teams stepped up to the rope. Kalgoorlie’s Salt Lake Shantymen and the Wildcard Pirates were first up, with the Pirates taking victory in the first round and in the emergency services clash the South Coast Volunteer Bushfire Brigade took down the Albany police in an evenly matched round. The weekly Boatshed Markets also had a range of local art, food, and unique Albany souvenirs on offer, with live music inside from local acts on the corner stage keeping the mood high.