Thousands of people packed into Saltash for the 150th anniversary of the Royal Albert Bridge celebrations on Saturday evening.

The festivities included a lantern procession, steam engines and steam rollers. At 7pm the water tug Careful led a sail-past of 16 canoes and around 40 boats and yachts, with the crews setting off flares as they passed mayor and mayoress Derek and Margaret Holley. Saltash's well-known commentator Malcolm Down kept the crowd well informed.

People gathered at the waterside to await the climax of the evening: the firework display to celebrate the day the Royal Albert Bridge was opened May 2, 1859, by Prince Albert, husband of Queen Victoria.

The whole of the bridge was lit up from end to end.

As the firework display ended, Malcolm led the huge crowd in singing Happy Birthday.

The celebrations continued early on Sunday morning when helpers were at Saltash railway station at 5.30am, to organise the walk across the Royal Albert Bridge. Around 1,000 people had applied, but only 400 could take part.

Mayor Derek Holley and wife Margaret were in the first group to cross, joined by Mrs Sheila Butler, a member of the Ashtorre Bridge Celebrations Committee, carrying the Cornish flag of St Piran.

Two men arrived late on Saturday evening having travelled from Oxford to walk the bridge, while another enthusiast from Bristol had to spend the night sleeping in the railway station as he arrived too late to find accommodation.

Sunday was Victorian Fun Day at the Waterside, where children enjoyed train rides, a railway exhibition, entertainment from the Salvation Army Band and much more.

Monday saw the end of the celebrations, when Saltash railway station was packed for the re-enactment of Prince Albert opening the bridge. People lined the station, surrounding banks and road bridge over the railway, and some sat in their open widows to view the re-enactment, which finished with the mayor unveiling a plaque to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the bridge.