Madcap racers get into the Spirit

German group Theater Titanick put on a spectacular show, with a parade of daredevil pilots racing to be the first to reach the town hall.

The ‘Firebirds’ show saw flying teams from Russia, France, England and America set off from the bandstand, looping round Northgate and Foundry Street, causing chaos along the way.

Fire effects and explosions added to the drama as the pilots took wrong turns and had breakdowns in their mad dash to the finish.

The foursome reunited in front of the town hall before attempting to take off and fly to London – the Russian and English machines blew up in flames, while the American machine ran out of steam.

The crowd was treated to a firework display before French pilot Marie took off into the air, circling in front of the town hall.