Winchester Hat Fair got off to a bang this year with an opening night fireworks spectacular that prompted a shower of complaints from residents.

But Britain's longest-running festival of street theatre didn't let a small hiccup disrupt the celebrations as it turned 30 in style, invading the normally sedate city streets for four days with its mad hatters and comic capers.

From a glass-staged dance spectacular to fishes on bikes, the Hat Fair was on its usual unusual form, taking over the city from The Buttercross to The Brooks and the Broadway.

The annual feast of street theatre kicked off on Thursday when a new Inside Out Day brought some of the city's professionals out of their offices to work with schoolchildren preparing pieces to be performed on the street.

The troublesome fireworks then wrapped up a picnic evening on St Giles' Hill, where they formed part of a specially- commissioned performance from The World Famous, which took the audience on an epic journey back to a time when Winchester was a place of great power, wealth and mystery.

Accompanied by crazy clowns, juggling stilt walkers and colourful walkabout characters, around 1,500 schoolchildren from all over Hampshire took to the streets on Friday in a noisy procession from Abbey Gardens to the Cathedral, where a host of special workshops were held.

Bash Street Theatre headlined with its production, Frankenstein and the youngsters were able to star in their own shows, performing their newly- acquired circus skills on the Hat Stand.

On Friday night, the Cathedral Close played host to the UK premire of Producciones Imperdible-dance on a glass stage, with the audience seated below-performed by Andalusian company, Mirando Al Cielo.

The event looked in danger of being renamed the drowned rat fair on Saturday, when heavy showers dampened the party atmosphere and spectators huddled under umbrellas and cheered the dripping performers.

In the gaps between the showers, visitors dawdled around the soggy stalls and children grabbed the chance to hone their juggling and plate-spinning skills with Circus Box and fashioned their own costumes with the Wicked Faerie's Recycled Grotto.

And the rain dried up in time for the 30th birthday parade from The Buttercross to The Broadway, where bands including Salt, The Angel Brothers and No 1 Station, took to a specially-erected stage.

The fair wound down on Sunday at the Oram's Arbour picnic, with acts from community groups, as well as a few exclusive shows, circus skills workshop and beer tent.