Balloons!!!

Our summer holidays have been blighted by illness so far, with just the odd day here and there where we have been able to get out and do something. Yesterday was one of those days :) It wasn't perfect as Tabitha is still tending to get sicky after feeds, but at least she hasn't had a temperature for a couple of days now. Anyway, to take full advantage of everyone being well, we went to the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta for theThursday evening Nightglow event.

It was a wonderful event to go to. I did feel slightly ripped off, when we got a bit peckish and went to get some chips, only to find they were £2.50 for a tiny portion, but I guess that's a captive market for you. We saw the special shape balloons tethered to the ground as the wind was a bit gusty for them to take off.

To put the size of these things in perspective, the motorbike balloon is 37m high and 47m wide. In other words VAST!

Unfortunately, the gusts of wind didn't drop enough for the mass ascent to take place, so we didn't get to watch any balloons take off, but then we sat and waited for the Nightglow to start. It really is a spectacle to see. Here is a video I took of it taking place.

Tabitha did struggle with the noise and the cheering, which was a bit stressful. She just screamed for most of the first two songs, but then started to calm down a bit. At the end of the nightglow, I knew they were going to be setting off fireworks, which she wouldn't have coped with at all, so I left a little bit before the end and went back to the car with her. When the fireworks actually started, we were far enough away that the bangs weren't too loud, and Tabitha actually seemed to enjoy watching them which was lovely. She hasn't seen fireworks before, and it's nice to know she likes them, if only at a distance.

Today is rather stressful, you see we didn't get home until 11pm last night, and the result of that is two tired children, never a good recipe ;-)