The July 4 celebrations at Washington Old Hall are an annual event. This time they also mark two years since Sunderland signed the agreement with Washington DC.

The traditional Independence Day service is organised by Washington School, the Friends of Washington Old Hall and the National Trust.

It includes a reading of Martin Luther King's "The Dream" by two pupils from the school, and a reading from the American Declaration of Independence by Nick Dolan, of the National Trust.

The Mayor of Sunderland, Coun Mary Smith, was also making a speech about the friendship agreement between Sunderland and Washington DC.

The event was due to culminate with the raising of the American flag and the singing of the American anthem.

The day-long celebrations were also expected to include stories of Presidents George Washington and John F Kennedy, brought to life by children from John F Kennedy Primary School and Broadway Junior School.

Both schools have links with their counterparts in Washington DC.
Sunderland City Council Paul Watson said: "We are very proud of our links with the USA and the unique friendship agreement we have with Washington DC.

"We have already seen the many benefits in terms of forging new economic, educational and cultural links with Washington DC, which we look forward to continuing to build in the coming years."

Adding further weight to today's event, the 50-strong National Trust Council opted to visit the North East as its region of choice for 2008, including a trip to Washington Old Hall.

They were due to be joined at the event by Fiona Reynolds, director general of the National Trust and the charity's chairman, Sir William Proby.