Date: 25 Feb 93 16:55:44 GMT From: jkn@ohm.york.ac.uk (John Nicoll) Message-ID: <1993Feb25.165544.22908@ohm.york.ac.uk> Organization: Electronics Department, University of York, UK Subject: 1993 East London Kite Festival announcement PRESS RELEASE (sort of - posted with the approval of The organiser - Jeremy Boyce of `High as a Kite', London) 1993 EAST LONDON KITE FESTIVAL incorporating ROUND 3 BRITISH NATIONAL TEAM SPORTKITE CHAMPIONSHIP Relatively few people would associate the ancient art of kite flying with mass, popular appeal. But ask anyone who has attended the annual Bristol Kite Festival and they'll you about the 50,000+ crowds that turn up each day for the event, come rain or shine, wind or no wind. Those lucky enough to have been there still go dewey-eyed and weak-kneed at the memory of the 125,000 attending last seasons European season opener at Le Touquet (never mind the 2,000+ kites flying at the time). These are the kind of events that are truly laying to rest the image of kite- flier-as-train-spotter and establishing kite flying as one of the most popular and easily accessible leisure activities of the 90's. The 1993 UK Kite Festival calendar is nearly complete and, lurking in between the more established dates at Blackheath and Bristol, Washington and Old Worden, is an entirely new event, one that will bring some much needed positive attention to that most maligned and un-glamorous of London boroughs. On June 19th/20th HACKNEY will play host to the first annual EAST LONDON KITE FESTIVAL. Using the huge open space of HACKNEY MARSHES, the organisers plan to fill the vast empty skies of east London with a huge splash of colour over two days of festival. At its centre and to give the weekend some extra interest, it will incorporate the third, deciding round of the BRITISH NATIONAL TEAM SPORT KITE CHANPIONSHIP 1993. Team flying is one of the most spectacularly inovative of all new sports visually and the winners at Hackney will go on to represent Britain at the 1993 WORLD CUP in Berkeley, California. Hackney's TEAM AIR KRAFT is expected to be "in the running". This will be a truly national event and we expect to be entertaining crowds of up to 20,000 people from all over the country over the two days with the following: * Single line kite arena featuring giant kites and wind-socks * Competition arena featuring the '93 National Championships as well as team display routines * Power kite area * Massive public flying area * Trade Stalls * Refreshments stalls * Workshops * Juggling The 1993 EAST LONDON KITE FESTIVAL will be the FIRST of its kind in east London and the BIGGEST outdoor event in east London this year. john nicoll (ex-Hackney resident!) -- john nicoll (jkn@ohm.york.ac.uk) Department of Electronics University of York Heslington YORK YO1 5DD U.K Tel +44 (904) 433221 Fax +44 (904) 432335 = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =