'1,000 Days' Olympic celebration

Portlanders turned out in their thousands to mark the '1,000 Days' milestone to the start of the 2012 Olympic Games.

This fancy dress Halloween party was organised by the Revive Portland Project.

It began with a lantern procession from Portland Castle.

This was headed by the Mayor of Portland, Richard Paisley, Team GB Olympian Simon Hiscocks and local hero Adam Greaves.

The event was set up by the Revive Portland team to help boost the area

The 3,000-strong procession, which also included sailors from HMS Portland, made its way to a waterfront restaurant.

Here there were refreshments, entertainment, games, and a performance by local street dancers, who only met a week before the event and had just five days to rehearse.

The dance group, as well as the '1,000 Days' celebration, was the result of the Ideas Shop consultation, which was held in summer 2009.

This was a drop-in shop in Fortuneswell, on Portland, which opened to take residents' ideas on how to boost the area for both residents and tourists.

This was set up by the Revive Portland team, which is part of the Changing Places project, designed to help improve the areas around host venues.

The 2012 sailing events will be held at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, the first Olympic venue to be to be completed outside London.

Best dressed

Prize giving took place on the rostrum, provided by the sailing academy.

The rostrum, with a history of international sailing and windsurfing stars receiving world titles, acted as a centre point for the gold, silver and bronze medal presentations, for a range of Halloween themed categories.

These included best fancy dress and best carved pumpkin.

Thrity-five pumpkins were entered with joint first place going to Olivia and Finly Parry.

Mercy Whiteside, aged eight, came first in the fancy dress competition with her 'ghostly maid' outfit.

The night was considered a "real community effort"

"Fantastic time"

The excitement built up to the countdown to 2012, when every ship in port sounded its siren, followed by a fireworks display on the water.

Dean Locke, who was there with his family from Chiswell, said: "We had a fantastic time - what a great evening!

"Everyone is happy and there is such a superb atmosphere here - just what we need on Portland.

"We are already looking forward to the next event!"

Russell Levett, Portland Marina Manager, said: "It's been a great success for Portland and a real community effort.

"Portland Marina has been delighted to be part of this wonderful event."

Attending the event was Jeff Wade who heads up Community Relations for the Olympic Security Directorate of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG).

He said: "We hope to set up similar projects to Revive Portland across the UK.

"If they are as successful as [this] event, with such a fantastic team [pulling it] together, then I would be very happy."