Motorists and shoppers were left baffled on Sunday afternoon in Surbiton as traffic was brought to a brief standstill by a five-metre (around 16ft) tall mobile puppet of an angry giant, two marching bands and a parade of more than 100 people.

The unique spectacle was part of the 2023 Seething Village Festival, which returned to St Andrews Square, Surbiton, for the first time since 2018.

Organised by The Community Brain, the free event celebrated Lefi Ganderson: The Goat Boy of Seething's legendary defeat of an angry giant and marked the official start of the organisation's 2023 programme of community-led events across the Kingston borough.

Each year, the Kingston-based not-for-profit creates and delivers a wide range of community-led arts, local heritage, social enterprise, regeneration and environmental activities and projects to enhance the lives of everyone in the borough.

Throughout Sunday afternoon more than 300 people gathered in the green space off Maple Road where they enjoyed live music, ate fresh food from local traders and took part in a variety of craft workshops.

A highlight of the event was a parade at 3pm, which saw The Kingston and Malden Scout & Guide Band lead around 100 people – many in fancy dress – and the puppet of the giant, on a sort circular procession, which saw traffic briefly held at the normally busy Maple Road / Brighton Road A243 crossroads.

This year's festival was extra special due to the celebration of the humble dumpling. Students from Kingston University led the dumpling-themed fun by helping visitors craft paper dumplings, play dumpling games and contribute to a massive community-authored dumpling recipe book.

Meanwhile, in a neighbouring gazebo, another group of students supported guests to upcycle glass jars into lanterns and make origami lamps, in preparation for The Community Brain's upcoming Light Procession to Kingston, which takes place on Sunday 12 March.

Robin Hutchinson, founder of The Community Brain, said: "It was so heart-warming to have hundreds of people come along and play with us, despite the chilly conditions.

"A huge thank you to all of our amazing volunteers, traders, Kingston University students, Kingston council and the police, for helping to make this year's Seething Festival so magical, memorable and fun for so many people."

You can find details about all The Community Brain's events and projects through the organisations website HERE and by following their socials.