THE clock turned back to the days of the Viking city of Jorvik today for the start of York's annual celebration of all things long-haired and Scandinavian.

Jolablot 2002 kicked off with a host of events which will carry on throughout the week until next weekend's finale of bloody battles.

The Lord Mayor of York, Coun Irene Waudby, unveiled a Viking boat made of ice to mark the start of the festival.

Today also marked the beginning of a new exhibition at the Jorvik Centre called Viking Voyagers, which focuses on the range of ships used by the Vikings.

Visitors can follow clues around the exhibition to discover what life on board a Viking ship would have been like.

Yesterday, children from several York schools took part in a Viking procession before they broke up for the half-term holiday. They performed a play in the Coppergate Centre before marching across the city centre to Central Methodist Hall, in St Saviourgate, where more plays were performed.

The schools taking part were Derwent Junior and Heworth, Park Grove and St Paul's Primaries, and the event was organised by City of York Council Performing Arts Service.

On Wednesday, BBC TV historian Julian Richards, presenter of Blood Of The Vikings, will give a talk in the Tempest Anderson Hall at the Yorkshire Museum.

Next Saturday there will be longships on the Ouse, processions and battles at the Eye of York during the day and throughout the evening.

Motorists should note that parts of King's Staith and Queen's Staith, as well as King Street and the Eye of York, will be closed to traffic until 8pm that day.

Updated: 11:24 Saturday, February 09, 2002