Up, up and away!

What a scorching couple of weeks we've had here in the United Kingdom!  Under stunning blue skies we've had three weeks of soaring temperatures, the mercury rising to register a cool 34 degrees Celsius (that's 93.2 Fahrenheit for you imperial buffs) at one point over the weekend.  Fully slapped-up with suncream, Lizzie and I went to sample the delights of the Tiverton Balloon Festival, both on Friday evening and Sunday, where a whole host of hot air balloons were in town for a celebration of summer.

It is pretty fascinating stuff to sit and watch a hot air balloon inflate.  For a start, they're so much bigger than you would imagine, bearing down on the spectators with unnerving unpredictability.  Once fully inflated, you begin to realise the power that these balloons pack, and it takes the strength of several men to stop them floating off unattended into the heavens.  One balloon nearly did escape after its rope came loose, caught the front of a nearby Land Rover, and ripped the registration plate off in one!  Once up in the air, though, the true serenity of these oddities becomes clear - they float with majestic presence, silently drifting across the expanse of dusky blue sky.  And it wasn't just the typically spherical balloon making an appearance - a Panasonic battery and a beerglass were amongst the highlights, whilst the festival programme also lists a pair of green Paddy Power pants, a cube, and a lager bottle.

As well as the balloons, Tiverton Balloon Festival presented a sizeable music stage, a range of craft stalls, local foods, archery, falconry, BMX stunts and, on Sunday, vintage aircraft displays.  In the intensity of the lunchtime sun, we found ourselves back in the festival grounds, clinging to the hedgerows and a thin sliver of shade.  After what seemed like an eternity, we heard the sound of a motor from on high, and flying into view with a trail of white smoke came a Beechcraft biplane.  The pilot wowed the crowd with twists, turns and loop-the-loops, inspiring a round of applause from the onlookers.  No sooner had our Beechcraft zoomed off and out of view, the deeper and slower sound of a Tiger Moth biplane came wafting across the sky.  No loops from this piece of aviation history, but a fabulous display from an iconic British aeroplane that I could have happily watched for hours.  My grandad trained in a Tiger Moth during the Second World War, and whilst the RAF replaced the model in 1952, Tiger Moths are still occasionally used as training aircraft in trial flying lessons.  I can see why they've been so popular for so many years!

What a great, if perishingly hot, weekend at the Tiverton Balloon Festival!  A new one on both our lists, we'll be sure to visit again.  And who knows, maybe next time we'll even hitch a ride!