Plymouth Barbican Pirate Days Weekend

Plymouth Pirate Weekend 2013 Saturday 25th – Sunday 26th May 2013

Amanda, her family & Captain Jack Sparrow enjoying the Pirate Weekend here on the Plymouth Barbican

Ohhh arrr! The pirates are coming to Plymouth! On Plymouth Pirate days except large scale events for all the family. Music, dance, food and more… A range of pirate themed ales will also be on offer across the barbican during the weekend. The Pirate Days 2011 & 2012 events proved to be very popular with the Barbican flooded with people enjoying the free events on offer.

This is one annual event NOT to be missed! .

Plymouth Barbican Pirate Weekend 2013

+ The tall ship The Bessie Ellen, will be moored in Sutton Harbour for the weekend giving visitors the chance to board her and explore the ship for free. Open Saturday & Sunday: 10am – 4pm.
+ There will be many groups walking around in full pirate costume throughout the weekend. Children and parents are encourage to dress up in all things Pirate! As a number of activities will be taking place across the Plymouth Barbican during the Pirate weekend between 10am – 4pm Saturday & Sunday.
+ Be prepared to see re-enactment displays, stilt walkers, demonstrations (including sword fighting and interactive craft workshops), face painting, a treasure trail and a best dressed pirate competition with some great prizes for under 16’s, judged at 3pm each day at The Bessie Ellen! Children (under 16) in pirate fancy dress will have the chance to win a year’s family pass to the National Marine Aquarium, Plymouth Theatre Royal and a cuddy toy. Phew…
+ Captain Jack Sparrow lookalike, Jonty Depp will be seen on Saturday making mischief amidst the crowds on the Barbican.
+ On Sunday Jacko Sparro will be there to entertain crowds.
+ Cap’n Jaspers will be handing out free A3 full colour treasure maps for the kids, which will take them around the Barbican looking for clues. They’ll be free of charge and available all weekend direct from Cap’n Jaspers.

Galleries from Plymouth Barbican Pirate Days Weekend 2012

- View Mike Pitches gallery of 377 photos taken during the Plymouth Barbican Pirate Days Weekend
- Steve Dudfield’s gallery of Barbican Pirate Days 2012.

Plymouth Pirate Days 2012

Details from the Plymouth Pirate Days Weekend in May 2012:

After a highly successful 2011, Plymouth Pirate Days is on course for 2012!

• Tall Ship Matthew will be berthed in Sutton Harbour for the weekend with a chance to go on board her to explore.
• The Matthew will be open from 10am – 4pm on the Saturday and Sunday, with a small donation to The Matthew required to board the ship.
• The Plymouth Waterfront Partnership will be putting on a packed programme of entertainment over the weekend.
• There will be lots of swashbuckling activates for everyone to join in.
• Expect to see re-enactment displays, smugglers ‘splicing’ demonstrations and storytelling.
• Competition for the best dress pirate for under 16′s to be judged at 3pm each day on the Matthew.
• Children in pirate fancy dress will receive free entry to the National Marine Aquarium over the weekend.
• A Captain Jack Sparrow lookalike will be dashing through the crowds.
• Activities on the Barbican will run from 10am – 5pm on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 May. For a full programme of activities taking place on each day, check the information point at The Matthew.

Keep an eye on this page for the latest information on Plymouth Pirate Days 2012.

- View list of all the posts on the Barbican Waterfront Website regarding Plymouth Pirate Days

Plymouth Pirate Day 2011

Plymouth Pirate Days expanded to cover the whole weekend of May 21st-22nd 2011. Hundreds of locals and tourists descend on the Barbican and surrounding areas to take part in a celebration of all things pirate! ohh arr!

Visitors enjoyed listening to live bands, watching various dance groups, sword fighting and musket firing demos, spotting a Captain Jack Sparrow lookalike and more with entertainment for children and adults later in the evening, including pirate themed real ales being sold within local pubs. (see leaflet above for full details and times of the Barbican wide events)

- View details of the events around the HMS Bounty & Barbican Pirate Days
- View list of all the posts on the Barbican Waterfront Website regarding Plymouth Pirate Days

• The HMS Bounty sailed into Plymouth on the 20th-22nd May 2011. The ship was built for the 1962 movie “Mutiny on the Bounty” and has appeared in Disney’s Pirates and the Caribbean films. Visitors boarded the ship and took part in pirate theme activities. The HMS Bounty was opened 10am-4pm Fri, Sat, Sun. £7 Adults, £3 children. Children under 5 boarded for free.
• The National Marine Aqaurium offered free entry to any child dressed up as a Pirate on the weekend of the 21st / 22nd May
• The 20th, 40th, 60th visitors to Beryl the Plymouth Tour Bus each received a free signed Larry the Pirate book.
• Jackas Bakery Britian’s oldest commerical Bakery, asked youngsters to drop into the Southside Street baker and pay 50p to come up with a name for the ship and its parrot. The chosen winner got to keep this amazing pirate cake.
• Pubs, Restaurants and many of the shops across the Barbican joined in the Pirate fun by dressing up in Pirate customes. A number of pubs supplied pirate themed ales and specialised rum menus. The Admiral MacBride offered pirate themed rum based pitchers perfect for any Pirate.
• Photos of HMS Bounty as she Sails into the Barbican Harbour

Plymouth Pirate Day 2011 – Images & Summary of the Weekend May 21st – 22nd

- Plymouth Pirate Days 2011 – Galleries 100′s of Photographs from the days events
- Plymouth Post Pirate Days Gallery
- Barbican Waterfront – Gallery 2011
- Cap’n Jaspers – Gallery 2011
- Photos of HMS Bounty entering the Barbican Harbour

Pirate Day piece written by Nick Ingram (on Facebook / Twitter)

They came to the Barbican, on the 21st and 22nd of May, for some pirate family fun, to put a bit of arrrr… in Plymouth, and the place was covered in them Pirates it was. There was tall pirates, small pirates, big pirates, young pirates, old pirates, and even some saucy sea dog who was calling himself Jack Sparrow, although we may have to doubt his authenticity, staggering around the gathered crew and ship mates.

Along side the quay, opposite the Cider Press, stood the majestic tall ship HMS Bounty, the star of Disney’s nice little epic pirate fest Pirates Of The Caribbean II, who is now on a full European Tour. It would seem that a certain amount of pirates and land lubbers had a great time climbing over the ships rigging and decks. Although disappointingly there was never any sign of a mutiny. It is obvious that the captain of HMS Bounty gives out superior rations of rum to crew.

Over the space of the two days it has been a myriad of pirate activity, and not all of it has been connected with the drinking of a pirate’s favourite Jamaican tipple. Firstly all the young pirates and those who had just been pressed ganged staged a competition to see who was the dandiest smuggler. Prizes were given to the best. There was also Pirate Story telling which kept these trainees enraptured with tales of daring do on the high seas. It is hoped, when these pirates, are experienced enough that their own adventures will become infamous enough to be told in tales.

For the more mature, experienced pirates, among us, but maybe not old enough just yet for a peg leg or a blind, the most interesting sea faring instruction was given on the subject of Splicing, the Personal Kit of the Royal Navy Seaman, along with the customs of Royal Navy’s etiquette of Officer Gentlemen Manner of sitting at table and dining. From which a point of view can be taken that the natural enemies of the pirate, those rap scallions of the Royal Navy tend to live better then most pirates. Although a note of caution must be shown that sometimes the Royal Navy is just not very good at capturing old lusty sea dogs that we are arrrrr.

Also, there have been some wonderful feats of arms with a drill and musket display, along with a smuggler’s cutlass sword fight, which showed some swarthy brigands that a smuggler is a force to be reckoned with when armed with a sword. Bu at the end of the day all was set well with a rousting sing-along of smugglers and pirate songs which set the scene for the rest of the evening as the rest of the remaining pirates retired to the bar to continue carousing in to the night. After, of course, all the new recruits had been put to bed.

For the past two days of pirate mayhem and plunder we only have to thank not only the organiser, David Saunders, who is also Jack Ringer Plymouth’s Town Crier, but also Plymouth Waterfront Partnership, Sutton Harbour Marina, and the Association Of Barbican Businesses for their participation. However a special thanks has to go to the Captain and Crew of HMS Bounty for making Plymouth Pirate Day’s such a resounding success. Rum and grog all around for all of them.

We hope that next year will be a bigger and better Pirate Day. It would seem though that this years event was an all round resounding success. Shiver-me-timbers Shipmates, never has a finer bunch of Pirates been seen on the Plymouth Barbican.

Links: Plymouth Pirate Days 2012 Facebook Group *latest news*
Plymouth Pirate Days 2011 Facebook Group