Six swashbuckling photos as pirates take over the Black Country to raise cash for charity
It wasn't so much Pirates of the Caribbean as of the Black Country at the weekend with more than 300 people taking part in an annual charity event.
The annual Old Cross Pirate Day looks set to smash previous records and raise around £4,500 in aid of Smethwick's St Albans Community Association and the British Heart Foundation charity.
The hearties took to the high streets of Oldbury starting at the Old Cross pub in Causeway Green Road, which is the HQ of the event, as part of the booty hunt in exchange for donations.
The search for treasure then followed a route including pubs in Bearwood, Harborne, Birmingham city centre, and even as far as Kidderminster before finishing off at The Seven Stars, Stourbridge and getting a ship, or a train back to Langley Cross for a party at The Old Cross.
At each location the Captain Jack Sparrow and Blackbeard look-a-likes were on the hunt for hidden treasures such as pictures, signs and words on posters with the person finding the most loot winning the top prize.
It caused quite a stir as well, with shoppers and passersby wondering why their towns were being invaded by pirates.
Old Cross landlord Trevor Ford, who spends months with a committee organising the hunt, said: "This year was one of the best ever with over 300 people taking part and the beauty of it is the whole family can dress up and take part.
"The kids love it as you can imagine and they get to go on an adventure and try and get to the right locations with clues telling you the next one.
"The Cross is a community pub and we are always supported so well by that community, so we try to put something back into in the form of St Albans and another nominated charity each year."
"This year people have surpassed themselves and I;d like to thank everyone who took part, from the pirates to the pubs who extended their hospitality to them and helped make the event such a success."
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