Holiday at Home is a unique initiative that encourages pensioners not travelling abroad to get into the holiday spirit at a series of cruise-themed activity days.

The week-long event was organised by members of the St Matthew's Community Hall, in Elwick Road, and pensioners have 'visited' Italy, Turkey, Egypt and Greece.
Suncream, hats, and flip flops have been essential wear on-board The Ark as they made their way across the Mediterranean over the past week.

Organiser Pat Vaughan said: "We did it last year for the first time, and it was aimed at older people that don't have the opportunity to go away on holiday. 
"The basic idea is that people can go away to the Mediterranean without ever leaving Hartlepool.

"This is the second year that we have run the Holiday at Home project and it has been a roaring success."

Around 30 pensioners from the over-60's group have been taking part in a series of craft activities depending on which country they were visiting.
At the start of the week the 'cruise' left port for Italy and the group spent the afternoon painting, on Tuesday they headed to Turkey and spent the day making Turkish rugs.

By Wednesday, the group had arrived in Greece so they were asked to create their own mosaics before rounding off the cruise with a trip to Egypt where they had to make their own Egyptian urns.
The community hall is next to St. Matthew's Church, also on Elwick Road.
Hundreds of leaflets were dropped through the doors of nearby residents in the build up the event and organisers have hailed it a huge success.

Pat added: "The group arrived each day at 10am and they were given tea, coffee and cakes before the morning activity session.
"There were more activities on the afternoon and everyone that attended really got into the swing of things, making sure they had their hats on and applying their suncream - it has been fantastic.

"Everyone also really enjoyed the activities that we have put on and one lady even said to me that it gives her something to get up for, which was lovely."

Holiday at Home was made possible thanks to funding from the Hartlepool Voluntary Development Agency (HVDA) and Stranton Church.