YOUNGSTERS enjoyed a morning of free activities during a pirate-themed event celebrating National Bookstart Day.

More than 1,000 parents and children under the age of five visited the National Maritime Museum in Greenwich and sang pirate songs, played pirate games and read books to one another.

Adults were treated to a rare showing of an original copy of Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson from 1863.

Celebrity mum Gail Porter, who attended the event said: “Reading books with your child is one of the nicest activities you can share.

“I love opening the pages and going on new wonderful adventures together through our books.”

This year’s Bookstart Day came during the National Year of Reading — a year-long celebration of reading in all its forms.