Sun shines for Bristol Kite Festival

Ashton Court became a sea of creatures of the deep for the Bristol International Kite Festival.

Children watched in wonder as an octopus, giant squid, a bright green fish, Roly the killer whale and a shark appeared to be swimming above them.

About 100 flyers from across the world came to Bristol for the event, now in its 23rd year.

As well as the continuous display kites there were demonstrations of skilled aerial combat with Japanese and Indian kites, and choreographed routines to music by the Scratch Bunnies.

Thousands of families came to see the amazing sights and enjoy the fun on the ground, too.

Among them were Maria and Hamish Cormack and their four-year-old twins Peter and Helen, from Westbury-on-Trym.

Maria, a full-time mum, said: "We love it. The shark came down and all the kids jumped on it with their mums running behind them shouting 'no!'

"It's free apart from parking and nothing is too highly priced. It's a pleasure to be here."

It was the first time at the kite festival for Kieron Pepper, 37, his wife Clair, 33, and their children Joseph, seven, and Darci, four.

They have just moved to Henleaze from Essex.

Kieron said: "It's fantastic. We bought a couple of stunt kites for Joseph's birthday so we were a bit enthusiastic to come here."

The underwater theme continued at Anne's Amazing Coral Reef, an inflatable on the ground that children could enter.

It was run by Anne Harris, 62, of Henstridge, Somerset, who has set up a charitable trust called Anne Harris Children's Fund, which raises money for disadvantaged children in the UK and abroad.

Her husband Christopher, 71, said: "We started flying kites ourselves as a result of coming to the kite festival.

"Then we started making animals and other inflatable structures, and received invitations to appear at events around the world including Columbia, Africa, Australia and America.

"Anne wanted to give something back so she set up a charity to try to help some of the children living in poverty we had seen in places like Bogota."

The main charity to benefit at the festival was Marie Curie Cancer Care. More than £1,200 was raised on Saturday alone.

Community fundraiser for Bristol, Bath and Wiltshire, Helen Game, said: "We had a 'guess how many balloons' competition and we sold paintball vouchers. People could also make a donations to have a message or dedication on a kite ribbon. People have been very generous."

The festival finale each day featured a mass fly-in of Martin Lester's iconic jogging legs, flying bodies, divers and spirit kites. His display included a pair of giant footballer's legs complete with a football to mark the festival's support for the Back Bristol 2018 England World Cup bid.

Hosts of the festival were the Avon Kite Flyers who flew special kites in Arena Two to mark the 20th anniversary of the club.

Allen Coates, 62, of St Werburgh's has been a member for six or seven years.

He said: "I got started because I wanted to lift a radio aerial – I was a radio amateur – and I became more interested in kites.

"I have about 30 kites now. The wind has been a bit variable. You can't predict what it's going to do so if you can't fly a particular kite you have to take it down and try another."

He said the best part for him was when he was flying a kite alone as families were leaving on Saturday afternoon.

He said: "One person walking past said 'thank you for a wonderful day'." Well said.