News / bristol international balloon fiesta
Mass ascent of balloons from secret locations across Bristol
“Wow” exclaimed one small child as with a roar of flames the first colourful balloon lifted off from the playing field at Bridge Learning Campus.
It was the first time hot air balloons have ever taken off from Hartcliffe as part of the city’s world-famous fiesta and families turned out early on Wednesday morning to stand on the dew-soaked grass and watch the spectacle up close.
People gathered at back gates, balconies and windows as they woke up to the sight of colourful balloons filling the sky.
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Hartcliffe was one of five locations across the city from which balloons took flight as part of a special Balloon Fiesta Fortnight, planned to take the place of the usual annual festival in Ashton Court, which was cancelled this year due to uncertainty around Covid.
Balloons also lifted off from Queen Square, Merchants’ Academy in Withywood, Hanham Common and Canford Park in Westbury-on-Trym for the fiesta’s first ever mass ascent from multiple sites.
Some 700 nominations were submitted by people across Bristol for take-off locations. Canford Park was nominated by the carer of a terminally ill man who loves balloons and lives right by the park. He is bed-ridden and unable to leave his house but got to watch the ascent via a live stream.
Hanham Common was chosen as it backs onto an old people’s home and was nominated by residents as a special treat for those in the home, as well as one family whose child with learning disabilities isn’t usually able to attend the fiesta.
The ascent from Queen Square was the first time in many years balloons have lifted off from a city centre location.
The ascent from Queen Square was the first time balloons have taken off from a city centre location for many years – photo by Martin Booth
Back in Hartcliffe, as the last balloon took off, nine-year-old Harry Lewis said the whole thing was well worth the 5.30am alarm.
“It was fun, I’ve never seen them up here before,” said Harry, adding that he wouldn’t want to go up that high but was happy to watch from the ground.
Ally Bigwood, the business manager at Bridge Learning Campus, nominated the school’s playing field as a Fiesta Fortnight launch location.
“I thought it would be a really nice thing to do to offer the school’s grounds so the residents of Hartcliffe could have a look at the balloons up close and personal. We’ve had balloons land here in the past but never take off from here.”
Harry Lewis, nine, with Claire Lewis and Emily Taylor-Gast at Bridge Learning Campus, Hartcliffe for balloon ascent 2021 – photo by Ellie Pipe
Ally Bigwood, the business manager at Bridge Learning Campus, nominated the school’s playing field as a Fiesta Fortnight launch location – photo by Ellie Pipe
Chris Allcock, chair of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, said organisers wanted this special edition of the fiesta to be “something spectacular for the city”, adding: “We are so thankful to Costa Coffee for partnering with us to help this happen.”
Balloons take off from Canford Park – photo by Meg Houghton-Gilmour
Main photo by Ellie Pipe
Read more: First flights from Filton as fiesta fortnight begins
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