Flights of Fancy – 2023 Kite Festival at Lytham St Annes – September 8-10th
I think I got my first kite when I was about six. It was bought by my eccentric aunt who always gave me something a bit unusual for my birthday.
When I was five she gave me a screw driver, which I loved. Unfortunately the rest of the family were less enthusiastic about it especially when cupboard doors plunged to the ground unexpectedly and the family vacuum cleaner packed up when it sucked the remainders of the box of screws that I had dropped on the sitting room carpet.
I suspect the word went to her that in future presents should be of a non- destructive nature. So – always willing to oblige mad auntie Bessie presented me with a kite on my 6th birthday. The card read “I am sure this will be more successful.”
Of course it was. I am not sure the electricity company thought it was when they eventually retrieved it from the electricity pylon in the field adjacent to our house and managed to restore power to some 500 homes in Lytham St Annes.
These kites and their owners were much more responsible. They were taking part in the 2023 Annual Kite Festival on the beach at St Annes.
They had come from all parts of the United Kingdom with their flying objects. As you will see there were large kites, small kites, kites that lit up at night and kites that fluttered more like flags than the traditional shapes I was used to.
The other main difference I noticed was that even in a light wind they all had to be tethered. One kite owner admitted that his not only had to be fastened off securely to his Volvo but claimed that if the wind exceeded 20MPH a weight of one a a half tons would be required to ensure that it stayed under control.
I found the owners of the kites almost as interesting as the flying objects they flew. It was also good to see that members of the public were allowed and even encouraged to bring their own kites and have a go.
It was a jolly atmosphere. The owners were not precious about their possessions and were only too willing to take up ideas and experiment.
Fortunately no one mentioned electricity pylons but it was a long time ago and I have grown (just a bit) since then.
See you next week
For more pictures from this festival go to my website and see under EVENTS click here
Hi, Robin,
I was disappointed initially about the sudden WordPress swap to JetPack, but ultimately, it seems to work fine. The IOS App is running smoothly. Meanwhile, I wonder why there are still many references to WordPress. I trust it will clear out with time.
Another enjoyable post today.
Thank you.
Frederic
PS: I hope you are doing well with your drone. I am doing a presentation today about “Drone Photography & Filming” to the U3A Digital Photography Group members in the High Kelling Village Hall. The meeting starts at 2 p.m., and my talk should begin at 3 – 3:30 p.m. You are welcome to join us if you are free, and we can talk about your progress and plan something together—on Friday, 15th September.