THE anniversary of Yarmouth's first charter was celebrated with the appearance of the famous Gloved Hand from the top window the Town Hall on Sunday.

The hand is part of St James' Day and the tradition goes back to 1609, when King James granted the town its seventh, and last, charter.

According to folklore, the men of Yarmouth could 'eat, drink and make merry with the wenches without fear of condemnation or apprehension'.

The town's first charter was awarded by local hero Baldwin de Redvers, Lord of the Wight, who was a pirate out of Carisbrooke, and founded several monasteries, notably Quarr Abbey in 1131.

Chairman of the Town's Trust, Martyn Collinson and trustees Bernie Tucker and Rod Corbett, were on hand to explain the town's history.

Martyn said: "We opened the upstairs of the Town Hall which is something we don't normally do, and we escorted visitors up there to show them some more Yarmouth historical photographs and memorabelia.

"We were quite surprised by the amount of visitors who popped in to have a look so it made for a very successful day."