It’s an annual institution – a chance for an island and its doubled population to party for eight days. And this year’s, with caped crusaders, bizarre flying machines and customised prams, is proving a typical winner. James Adair reports on the northern phenomenon that is Alderney Week THE vamped-up buggy wasn’t Batman’s usual mode of transport – but then, superhero sightings on the Butes aren’t entirely normal.

Except during Alderney Week, when practically anything goes.

With flights fully booked, extra ferry sailings laid on and the guarantee that every hotel room in the island is taken, the eight-day festival is an institution – a chance for islanders and the hundreds of visitors who make the annual pilgrimage to let their hair down and party.

And with the island basking in this summer’s record sunshine, the scene couldn’t be better set.

Heroes and Heroines is this year’s theme, which explains the Batman – one of several travelling in Monday’s cavalcade.

Led by town crier Trevor Le Page, it snaked down Victoria Street and onto the Butes, flanked by Little Miss and Little Master Alderney, Shannon Clarke and Rian Drake.

Behind them the Merchiston Castle School pipe band, especially imported from Scotland and splendidly kilted for the occasion, played bagpipes and drums.

Most cavalcaders stuck, however loosely, to the hero theme, with Miss Alderney, Lianne Bunn, transported on an extraordinary model of George and the dragon, complete with thrones for her maids. The whole thing was so large it had to be pulled by a tractor.

In her wake came beauty queens from Jersey and the French town of Beaumont-Hague as well as Guernsey’s newly crowned Kira Gavey.

And that was just the start. Later came floats including a replica of the Argo, sailed by a young ‘Jason’ and a full crew of Argonauts.

There was an impressive Batmobile complete with Batman and Catwoman – in fact, the caped crusader proved a popular choice. And Alderney Batmen’s modes of transport proved typically eclectic, with a range of Batmobiles encompassing fully kitted-out cars and the customised pram.

One float featured Robin Hood and what appeared to be a small harem of wives, another was devoted to suffragettes and a van was converted into Scooby-Doo’s famous Mystery Machine.

And the prizewinners? Miss Alderney and her English saint scooped the top spot, with Jason and his Argonauts coming in second and the Mystery Machine winning the children’s category.The afternoon saw games and shows on the Butes, with the Alderney Blowers and Guernsey sea shanty band GU10 providing a musical backdrop.

Games included real-life table football and a dunking contest, which gave everyone the opportunity to get friends, relatives and adversaries thoroughly soaked.

The afternoon ended with a series of tugs of war, ranging from children’s categories to the hotly contested adults’ competition.

And so the fun went – and still goes – on.

The man-powered flight competition is always a highlight and this year’s saw an extraordinary event: one of the contraptions actually flew.

Architect and pilot of this wonder – a biplane named The Wrong Brothers Mark II – was 27-year-old Andrew Stone.

‘I am the bird man,’ announced Mr Stone, not taking our interview as seriously as he might.

The competition also featured a hot-air balloon that broke free from its moorings before it had the chance to fly in any kind of controlled manner – and soared off to an estimated height of 20,000 feet.

Not all the entertainment has been quite so unrestrained, though. Parties for adults have included a ‘posh bling ball’ on the Butes and for a younger crowd, a 70s disco at Corporation Quarry.