Allestree  Carnival
A very difficult site on the side of a hill but we still managed two pairs and a good team performance with the Dancers in some of the toughest winds we have ever had to deal with. The PA was to quiet to hear properly as it was down wind. A physical and demanding fly with lumpy winds up to 30 feet up!!

Warwick and Kenilworth District Show
This was a day to remember we had our own flying area all day (except when the falcons flew) and produced two Crisp main arena displays. The first was the single (Chris flying to Byork followed by the pair Alan and Dave to Peer Gynt then I flew my multikite to Lullaby) and then Alan Poxon Chris Head and Graham Binney did a great display to Caribbean blue. We then had to clear the arena before we could get all five kites up (Bah!). But we came back at about four thirty and set up And flew straight through four pieces of music including some Enya and Diamonds are forever. Chris was a bit ill during the afternoon but had recovered well. The wind felt perfect and the Team made just one mistake during the whole session and to cap the day off the teams effort in putting up the stall won best small stand in show. Twas A Great and happy day as the whole performance had improved and we could all see it.

Brinsley Carnival is in Alan Poxon's home Town. The arena was a little small but we managed to fly the first session fairly easily but we had to keep the kites way up to catch any wind at all. I have to say Brinsley is a tough crowd as they have seen the kites before but they where quite appreciative of our skill later on we put on the tails display which was quite impressive given the size of the arena. We put a lot of effort in but we had a bit of a cross up (probably my fault) during the moves but amazingly we got out of it?? and carried on.

Shrewsbury Kite Festival
Alan Poxon and Alan Bill Very Kindly joined me at Sundorne and we put on an unappreciated but amazing display of tail Work including Alan P. catching and holding onto the centre of the tail while Alan Bill and I flew over him. then releasing the tail he came and joined in with 200ft of tail attached the team changed places to give different effects with one long tail and two kites joined together we must have flown for nearly an hour together before we had to give up. Again we had a lot of nice comments about the tails later in the day.

Winterton Show
Graham was on holiday but we decided to have a go at this large agricultural show. The first session was very difficult with the wind largely disappearing during the warm up. Poor Chris crossed the entire arena looking for wind to power his intro but despite a lot of leg work he was defeated. I managed to get everyone in the air but we spent a lot of energy getting forward on the down manoeuvres so we decided to try to fly as slowly as we could we came away without two many drama's but not entirely happy with our performance. In the later session we were asked if we could fly at the end of the day in the middle of the parade of vintage and classic cars and lorries. This was an inspired idea and I played it as safe as I could the whole team put 100% in to it and produced some of the slowest and most graceful flying holding vertical and horizontal lines in impossible conditions. Both the crowd and the team enjoyed the performance.

Shipley Country Park
This was one of my favourite festival's despite some minor problems The Saturday was Quiet and I spent my time setting up and Watching Dodd Gross fly. His skill was self evident this year and he seemed to have a more positive attitude which seemed to pervade the whole festival. The teams first performance on Sunday was good but we got the tails crossed round a nose in the routine and the flying was good but not totally spectacular. We decided to use the Big Softies later on and this produced some of the best flying the team has ever done with them. The vertical threads and wraps were totally accurate and both the team and the audience enjoyed it.

Shifnal kite Festival
A new event this Year and the team Turned out to support George Walker who worked really hard to get the event going. The team flew in very difficult conditions in a tough space and managed to pull off every manoeuvre in the book including a couple of "Deaths head Crossover's" which we had only managed to learn the Wednesday before in fact I think the only manoeuvre we didn't do that afternoon was the weave Totally Fantastic flying in a very tough place and even the old hands at flying where impressed with our improvement

Coventry kite Festival
The team set up on the Sunday but we only flew one short session as a team because we were all heavily involved in the event. We all flew in the Coventry Cup Chris and Graham won it this year with a solid performance to Westlife. I got this Photo as a Christmas card just to remind me of the fact.

The team once again flew in very little wind and astounded a lot of experienced fliers by not even having one mistake. Despite having to motor all over the place to stay in the air. Holding on to cross passes that had the kites almost side sliding with only a foot between the kites. A very professional display in tough conditions. We all flew the MKF club kites and I helped on the PA which used my smaller marquee. It took nearly a week to recover from the exertions of the weekend but it was worth the effort. 

BBC Trailer for Look North

Three members of SKY SYMPHONY were asked to attend "A Shoot" at Flanborough Head, Humberside. The actual location was Thornwick Cliffs. The BBC chose the day (October 14th) that fortunately was dry but slightly over-cast. The day evolved thus

The "Team" met at 6am at Tamworth and drove on the M6 until breakfast. With a full "turn" we carried on our journey via the M18, and arrived at Hull in the RUSH hour. Having negotiated the traffic we finally arrived at our destination at 9.45am.

We were met by two members of THE BEEB" who escorted us to the flying site; a sloped grassed area of some 200-metres square. Ideal location! We were asked to set up and prepare for when the film crew arrived from their previous set (A lifeboat rescue just down the coast). With a sunny outlook and a fair wind (14/18 mph) we elected to set up our sunrise DANCERS complete with 200 foot tails! These proved to be very popular and were liked by the Director on arrival. The wind direction was offshore and blowing out towards the sea. Ideal for our team flying but you've guessed it the director had never flown a kite and some of his requests were rather impossible (a common fault with directors I understand!). Throughout the morning we were asked to do a variety of manoeuvres with the three team kites, some over and over and over and over again! Although the team were pleased with its performance, the director always wanted that little bit more (I wonder if that's how Alfred Hitchcock started??)

The crew were becoming a little impatient for lunch so we were taken to the Beverley Arms Hotel. Very nice lunch but we felt a little isolated as the crew all appeared to be together with Dave, Alan & yours truly left alone, reminiscing the mornings events. I thought Dave at one point was ready to BLOW A GASKET, these guys have no idea of what kite flying is all about! (Calm Dave!) We returned to the flying site in the afternoon to complete what the BEEB said was a very productive morning. After trying to sit on the camera lens (yes that was an actual request) I attempted to achieve the objective of spinning the kite on its own axis, with little or no wind, extending both arms so the camera could look straight down the lines, towards the kite. Dave was earmarked to fly round a restricted sky (but it must be in the frame) directions sounded like that of the "Golden Shot" (now your showing your age) Up a bit, left a bit, up a bit more, down a bit. Dave's a placid guy, but there is a limit! Finally at about 3.30 we were told that it was "IN THE CAN". So after a long and arduous day the objective had been achieved. Sam Allison, the executive producer said she would send us a copy of the final "Trail" together with "THE RUSHES" or outtakes! Three weeks later the film arrived. I eagerly placed the video into the machine and viewed the days filming. Surprisingly it took all that time to produce a trail that in total was only 20 seconds long! Don't blink or you'll miss it. However what is shown is good, but ALL DAY! Perhaps I now know why our licence fee is so high! We returned to base at Tamworth at 6.30pm. We were all tired, but elated after an insight into "FILM MAKING".

Graham Binney Team Leader SKY SYMPHONY