A stunned German tourist was among those watching on in Belfast on Friday as the annual Twelfth spectacle wound its way through the city centre – calling it the “greatest event” of its kind he had ever come across.

Another onlooker enjoying the parades was a Catholic mum and repeat Twelfth-goer, who had brought her one-year-old son to watch.

The News Letter was on the streets with the spectators and here some of them give their take on the day, and on what the Twelfth means to them:

• Thomas Wiegand is 50 and from Berlin.

placeholder image — Kim Gardner, Amy Cullen, and Thomas Wiegand

He had not planned on making the Twelfth a part of his holiday, but heard a day earlier there would be a parade, so came along to see. He didn't quite know what he was in for.

"It's the greatest event of such type I have ever heard," he said, camera in hand.

"I'm totally surprised how big it is. I could never imagine how long it is. I thought 20 minutes, half an hour, is long – but no!

"I'm very surprised – pleasantly surprised!"

• Amy Cullen is 31, and from east Belfast.

"We had a great day,” she said.

"This is Kingsley, it's his first Twelfth today. It's great fun.”

She is Catholic, and Kingsley’s daddy is Protestant.

“I'm from Enniskillen but their daddy is from east Belfast direction so the Twelfth is very important on his side for tradition and stuff,” she said.

"We're actually a mixed family, but we like keeping in with both sets of traditions. We go to St Patrick's Day and then we go to the Twelfth as well, just so they understand their culture on both sides.

“I'm living up here five years now so this is my fifth Twelfth going. It's a family day for all.”

• Kim Gardner, 55 ("the Rangers age") is from Paisley but lived in Northern Ireland for 25 years.

She was with 10 family members, spanning four generations.

She said: “It's a day of culture, a day of family, a day of being together. It's just amazing. We've done it for over 40 years, four different generations. And we wouldn’t miss it for the world.”

Why come all the way to Belfast? “Because it's where the atmosphere is,” she replied.

• Mark Pearson, 52 and from Stranraer, had come because he'd been commissioned by a museum in Cornwall called The Keep, focussed on the light infantry, to do a profile on various regional cultures around the UK (like brass bands in the north-east of England).

"They wanted it documented, and this is part of the itinerary," he said.

"I think it's of historical significance, and it's good to support cultural activities like this."

• For Ken Getgood, 50 and living in Wiltshire, it was a homecoming.

Originally from Lisburn, he used to play the flute in bands.

He had not been back to Province since 2003, and on Friday his partner had come along too for her first ever Twelfth.

"It beings back a lot of childhood memories," he said.

"Life moved on, I moved away, and am now living in England.

"But I wanted to come back with my partner to show her what it was like for me as a child growing up, parading on the Twelfth.

"I think she'll love it. She's a big lover of music.

"There's a lot of tourism now. It's interesting to see everyone going round the Shankill now on the buses. It's a totally different city now to the one I remember.

"We went to watch one of the bonfires last night and I think we heard more Scottish accents than Irish accents."

• Tom Gillam, aged 80 and from Seattle, has Irish ancestors.

Asked what he made of the march, he said: "I thought they were a spirited bunch!"

He said he had tried to understand the history behind it – it's "to do with a battle outside Dubin somewhere – Boyne?"

"Old feelings stick around," he said of the fact that, four centuries later, its commemoration continues.

• David Stanley, 75, is from Newcastle originally, now living in London.

"When I was a younger man I came all the time. My parents, my grandparents, and my uncles had a shop at the FInaghy crossroads for many years, and the parade always used to go past - so it was a bit of an annual event for us to come.

"I've always been very interested in history. My grandfather fought in the First World War - he was with the 9th Battallion, Royal Irish Rifles.

"So I've always been a strong supporter of military things and what they do, and what the lads have done in the past.

"For me this is a sort of military event. It recalls what the men did in the past and I'd like to support that.”

• George Deans, 68, from Stonehaven near Aberdeen (but originally from Strabane).

"This was the first time I was in Belfast for the Twelfth of July for some years – it must be over 10 years. It was a very enjoyable experience to witness the parade again after such a long time.

"The Twelfth symbolises the fact that a significant proportion of the population in Northern Ireland still view themselves as part of the UK and would like to remain so in the future and it's a way of celebrating that."

• Patricia Watson, aged over 70, is from Holywood.

"It's a tradition,” she said. “I've always come to it from when I was a child 'cause we lived nearby – Botanic Avenue – and you just had to walk down.

So if I don't come to the Twelfth, I feel something is missing.”