Fire festival celebrations continue despite procession’s postponement

South Mainland Up-Helly-A' celebrations at Sandwick Social Club.

The procession may have been postponed but the fire festival spirit burned bright into the night.

South Mainland Up-Helly-A’ was derailed for the fourth successive year – but at the Soothend halls last night (Friday) that was soon forgotten.

There were guizers and squads, and singing and dancing, and bannocks and cakes – it was as if the weather had not intervened at all.

Hundreds turned out to make the most of the celebrations at Bigton Hall, Sandwick Social Club and Ness Boating Club. Today’s hop events are also set to go ahead.

And best of all – it happens again for real in just a fortnight’s time

After four years of waiting, two weeks more hardly seems a wait at all.

As Guizer Jarl Jamie Laurenson said earlier that day: “Smuha is a marvellous institution.”