COLOURFUL kites filled the air as they fluttered and dived above thousands of visitors to Ashton Court.

The annual Bristol International Kite Festival attracted huge crowds to the estate, with those who make and fly them travelling to the city from around the world to put on the spectacle.

This year's festival celebrated 25 years of kite-flying and was also part of the celebrations marking 100 years of the Bristol Aeroplane Company.

And despite yesterday's early downpours, organiser Avril Baker said flying conditions had been excellent on both days.

"I reckon the turnout on Saturday was the best Saturday crowd we have ever had," she said.

"It was rammed. The turnout was a bit disappointing on Sunday, perhaps because of the half marathon in the morning, perhaps because of the drizzle, but those that came along saw some fantastic displays. The sky was filled with kites."

Families joined in the fun when they weren't watching the displays, flying their own kites around the edge of the festival site.

Children especially were transfixed by the different shapes that took to the air, from giant inflatables of puffins and crabs to more delicate birds, butterflies and bees that danced across the sky.

This year's festival was run in support of the Great Western Air Ambulance, which had its helicopter on site and ran a number of fundraising events, including parachuting teddy bears from a kite.

Many of those showing off their kite flying skills were home-based but making his first visit to Bristol and the UK was John Pollock from Montana, US.

The retired art teacher, 63, had been invited to a French event in Dieppe and was pleased to extend his trip to take in the West Country.

He said: "As a child I flew kites but it was only about 15 years ago that I started making them.

"I've now been national kite building champion in the USA three times.

"This is our first time in the UK and we've had a great time."

John paints his kites using only yellow, red, blue, violet and black paint, layering them to make other colours.

It's only when they are held up against the light that the striking shades are at their best but they are painted on the flat, if only to stop the paint running.

Heinrich Hohmann, 50, of Stuttgart, Germany, brought 20 to 30 kites with him to cope with all weather conditions, but they still weighed no more than 20 kilos in total.

The architect took up kite making and flying when his daughter was born 22 years ago and colleagues presented him with a book about kites.

He said: "I now travel all over the world, including throughout Europe, the USA and Japan. Bristol is among those at the top level, with very good kite flying."

One of Heinrich's kites consisted of three separate pieces designed to create an optical illusion of a figure within a frame.

Meanwhile his fellow flyer, Swiss IT specialist Rene Maier of Zurich, is a former world champion in single line kite flying and had with him a stunning pyramid-like kite made up of a series of smaller part-triangle shapes.

He said: "The thing with this design is I can have a small kite consisting of four individual shapes or just keep making it bigger by adding more."