Whitley Bay

Whitley Bay was hard work. We were flying from the links with an off-shore breeze. To get up clear of the turbulence from the buildings behind us means flying out over the cliff, with the kite over the wet sand and even wetter surf. Every time you sit down for a break, the wind would die and it was all hands to the pumps to keep everything out of the drink. Then, just as suddenly, the stiff breeze was back and we were working hard to safely re-launch everything. By the end of the day, hands and arms were buringing with the wear and tear of line handling.

Manta Ray dominating the sky as usual:

Dogs:

We had our AirBanners flying for the first time. They make a massive impact.

There is no woman on the kite field that puts in the effort and determination that Kathleen does. Here seen wrestling a Manta Ray single handed and showing off the marks from being dragged across the grass:

The Tigers are always a hit with the crowds:

Kathleen heard someone in the crowd look at the movement of the dragon and exclaim "It's alive!"

Team Fusion doing their 4-line display. They frequently came to our aid to help with the struggle of putting on a big display in a small space.

Graham Lockwood:

Malcolm Goodman braved his Chinese dragon to the elements:

Fliers, Traders and council officials all working together to put on a great show:

Rather than go straight home, we had the privelage of a stay at Malcolm and Jeanette's lovely home in Teesdale. In the morning, we took the scenic route through the National parks.

The local stream:

High Force in the early morning:

A dead end in the Dales:

Stacked stones: