South Tyneside Festival’s four-week residency in Bents Park concluded on Sunday afternoon. Over the last month, high-profile acts such as Sigala, Jason Donovan, Sister Sledge featuring Kathy Sledge, Five Star’s Deneice Pearson, along with, a whole raft of local talent have graced the stage of the South Shields locale.

Thousands of music fans have congregated in Bents Park week after week to witness their favourite pop artists on a stage that was situated adjacent to the South Shields promenade. Sunday afternoon's proceedings were no different to the norm, with festival punters arriving early to secure their spot at the front of the stage. Many of them came prepared with their deck chairs.

Sunday's show was very much an eighties-themed affair. As a prominent feature of the Stock, Aitken and Waterman stable, Sonia got the festivities underway early in the afternoon. Bedecked in a silver sparkly dress, Sonia performed songs that showcased the different points of her career including Hopelessly Devoted To You from her role as Sandy in Grease, the artist’s hit single Never Stop Me From Loving You and her 1993 Eurovision entry Better The Devil You Know. Sonia was one vote away from winning Eurovision with the latter, and she joked that she was still not over it. A medley of covers concluded Evans’ wonderful opening set.

Local cover band, the Breakfast Club, segued the original artists on Sunday's bill and brought a lot of followers with them in tow. Many t-shirts were spotted in the audience bearing the band's moniker.

The pop nostalgia continued with Carol Decker from T’Pau whose incredible voice wowed the South Shields audience. Carol sank her Heart and Soul into her performance if you will excuse the pun. Classics from the T’Pau repertoire including Sex Talk, Secret Garden, and Valentine featured. A cover of Journey's Don't Stop Believin’ and the unmistakable China in You Hand brought the artist’s evocative set to a close.

Haircut 100 had the job of concluding this year's event. The band, fronted by Nick Heyward had hits with the likes of Love Plus One, Nobody’s Fool and Favourite Shirts. The headliners walked the South Shields audience down memory lane. And just like a song from their discography, the group gave the Bents Park crowd another Fantastic Day on the coast.

After four memorable afternoons in sunny South Shields, we are already looking forward to next year's South Tyneside Festival.