# Hot air ballon festival



## 90015 (May 1, 2005)

Is anyone else going to the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta, Thurs Aug 12th to Sun Aug 15th? I will be, but don't let that put you off!!! It's free to attend, but i belive that if you want to camp you have to be a member of The Motor Caravanners' Club, but if your not, i think you can join on site (£30???). For info about the Fiesta log onto www.bristolfiesta.co.uk

Have you been before, what was it like? This will be my first attendance and i'm really looking forward to it, it'll also be the longest we've been away in the m/h, as we only purchased her in Jan and have only been away for the odd night.

I'll have my motorhome facts notices in the windows, so look out for me and come and say hello, you'll be most welcome.       :lol: :lol: :lol:


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## 89309 (May 19, 2005)

I'll be there.

First time for me to attend, always wanted to go but always missed it,
This year I am having the week off so will be touring around and then going on Thusrday.

I have a Lunar Champ A630, keep a look out for me and my better half.


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## 90015 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Trevor, i will keep an eye out for your m/h, will you have a notice in your window with m/h facts written on it? I will have a small one near my tax disc and a bigger one in the rear window, they'll be homemade and have my member name "Adnil" on them, but at least it will be advertising the site.

For anyone seeking more infomation about the camping at the festival, the website for The Motor Caravanners Club is:
www.motorcaravanners.org.uk

The area group hosting the camping is the Avon, so any info should be sought through them.


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## 89309 (May 19, 2005)

I.ve just printed out a A4 motorhomefacts.com photo which I will laminate and put in the front window.

I am looking forward to going.

Hopefully I'll see you there.


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

hi adnil, we hope to get up there for at least a few days, we were up in lincoln two weeks ago, and mattersley this w/e. ive been on the bristol site, and theres no camping on balloon site, but they do list camping areas, which one you gonna be on 8) or aint yer tellin? read your post but didnt see where or why you had to join the mcc can you explain please? thanks


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## 90015 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Raine, thought you'd defected, said to my hubby today you'd not been on for awhile, glad to see you're back though! Did you have a good time?

We're camping on a site with the MCC (Avon group are the organizers), joined because sisters-in-laws and families are members. 
We will be there from Thur's lunchtime 'till Sat, if we've not seen everything or not got fed up we may stay 'till the end on Sun. 
The teenagers are looking forward to the pop concert, so am i.

We'll have a windsock (very tacky, i know!!!) flying above our van with a smiling sun face on one side and a smiling moon face on the other side, it's about five foot long.    

It would be nice to meet you, to put a face to the person who's as mad as me!!!


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Adnil
Your reply to Raine makes my PM to you about the MCC redundant. May see you there but they are expecting upwards of 200 vans so it may involve a windsock search.
Mike


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## RobMD (May 9, 2005)

We intend going to the Avon MCC rally too - gonna be cramped!!!


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## dodger148 (May 9, 2005)

There are a group from North Wales going (not board members yet!!) with the MCC.
We cant make it unfortunately


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## 90015 (May 1, 2005)

Hi all, i'll have my m/h facts notices in the windows, will you have any up so we can play spot the member? (Whoops! sounds a bit rude doesn't it?).
Sorry you can't make it Dodger 148.

I think the Camping & Caravanning Club have got a camp site too, i think i read about it in their out and about mag, August issue.

My 13 yr old nephew is involved in the Fire Brigade Cadet Drilling (Sounds a bit cruel to me, wonder if the N.S.P.C.C know about this!!!!).

Some of the groups appearing in concert are:
Sugarbabes.
Rachel Stevens.
Girls Aloud.
Peter Andre. (He's bringing his own balloon---meow, meow!)
Jamelia.
Darius.

Looked on the Supanet weather forcast for the Avon area and it looks like we're gonna get wet, but what the heck, it's my birthday on Friday the 13th so i'm gonna have a good time, the weather won't beat me!!!


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

A good web site for the latest news about the balloon festival, weather forcasts included:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/content/articles/2004/08/09/fieataweather_forecast_feature.shtml

If that link is too long to work go to:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bristol/

and click on the link

Mike


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

:lol: hi adnil, happy birthday for the 13th (spookyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy) i had mine on the 6th, hm!!! yes we did, i like lincolnshire, and ? the one next to it! sorry, had a bad night!! We had ok weather at lincoln, pouring when we got there, but brightened up, and at mattersley brill, we had flash flooding here, just before we went away, i took my washing in, so it was allowed to rain hehe! but not quite that much, it was quite awesome! I've tried a few camp sites FULL but there is one Newton campsite near bath, that said if we didnt want elec they would probably be able to get us in, so we will see, but hubby seemed to lose interest when i told him there wasnt any camping on site, he has been working really hard and long lately (love him) so might not push it, but did say i would like to go, we have been to two other festivals, but NO GO FLIGHT (Apollo 13) lol . so it would be nice to see, my sister went to the Wellington Country park one the other year, and the photos were fab!(thunderbirds) :roll: :roll:


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## RobMD (May 9, 2005)

Just found out that my "Significant Other", has said she would work Fri. Morning, that means we wont get to the Balloon Festival until around16.00 Fri. - MCC site will probably be full then.
If we do get there, I'll be putting a M/H Facts logo in the window, and will look out for others.


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Rob

We hope to be there Thursday evening but like you we will arrive late afternoon, other half working till 3pm, I am guessing that the roads through Bristol will be chokka so I am planning to go over the Avon on the M5 to J 19 and then approach from the south west on the A369. No good thinking we could use the Clifton suspension bridge it is closing for the weekend, apparently it could not cope with the load last year!
Hope to see you there.
Mike


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

:? hi adnil, what site is the avon mcc on? still looking to go, and hubby is looking a bit more with it too (love him), so ..............................


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## 90015 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Raine, not sure which site you want to know about, camp or web?
Web site is www.motorcaravanners.org.uk
To contact them go to "groups" in the tool bar or look under "rallies" to find the directions for getting to the campsite.
I belive the campsite is across the road from the festival site, but with not having been before myself i can't comfirm this, it's only what my sister-in-law has told us and i think this is their third visit.

Hope to see a few happy, if rather soggy, motorhomefacts members there.

Have a good time everyone and report back on this thread your experiences of the festival.

Well i'm off to get ready, going to meet up with sisters-in laws in Yeovil and we're all travelling in "convoy", we'll be in a Kon-Tiki, V.W Komet and a Compass Drifter (all older models), the Drifter will have my m/h facts sticker in the back window.


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

hi adnil, well looks like we are going fri am, yesssssssssssssssssssssss!i found a site 12 miles away, bath marina and caravan park £15 with elec, so it looks like we will be there , by the sounds of it it is going to be heaving, i will be sorry to have missed the special shapes, but have actually seen some of them over guildford, a few years back! happy travels! :lol:


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## 90015 (May 1, 2005)

Hi All, weathermen got it wrong again, thank goodness!!! Raining when we left Bournemouth area, got to Yeovil and it was pouring it down by the time we reached Bristol airport it was thundering and lightning, got onto site and weather was fine and only wet on the grounds surface, dodged rain showers while getting pup tent and awning set up. It was mainly warm and sunny with a few overcast with a breeze moments.

The campsite had a drinking water tap, a covered waste water/elsan pit and a large trailer for rubbish. Everyone was parked up in rows with plenty of space in between the vans so we were not all crammed in on top of each other. It was approximately 500 metres across the road from the festival entrance and it was about the same distance again to the showground.

We arrived before the concert started at 2.00pm and were able to stand quite close to the stage, all the acts were good and it was very entertaining. We, the mums and dads, went off and had a look around the rest of the site and on returning were stood way back from the stage and it wasn't that loud so it could've done with the volume turning up a bit!!! Only a few special shaped balloons were inflated in the arena but they didn't fly. Later that evening, after the concert finished at 9.00pm and it had gone dark, they had the whole arena filled with balloons which were then lit up in time to music, it was quite a show and was followed by a fireworks display.
Friday/Saturday mornings, 6.00am, mass balloon ascent, over 130 balloons of all shapes and sizes took to the skies, now this was something not to be missed as they floated off into the early morning mist with the sun rising in the distance, quite a spectaular sight.
The arena events were much the same sort of thing you would find at your local show and seemed to be repeated everyday.

On Saturday, we left just after lunch and with the roads being closed/coned off we managed to miss our turning and ended up in Bristol City centre, it took us almost an hour to get back to the turning we wanted to take in the first place!!! :x :x :x 
We'd go again and the two nights stay was long enough for us to see everything we wanted to.    

My birthday bash started a night early on Thur's night and continued again on the Friday night, the family sang happy birthday in four or five different styles, all out of tune i might add.    

Didn't see any Motorhomefacts members    Did you spot us first and decide to give us a wide berth :?: :?: :?:


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

hi adnil, no we didnt see you, cos we would have said hello, we got back tonight, went fri, to bath marina site (gonna do a write up on it later) went and saw I,Robot (BRILLIANT) in Bath, then went to the festival sat, will write that up later as well, cos i need some zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz glad you had a good birthday bash. see ya later R. :lol:


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Adnil

We went and enjoyed all 4 days got back late last night. I went round the rally field looking for your van but did not find you... I think there were well over 225 vans so it was difficult. I had put a Motorhomefacts Logo in my window did you see our van? we were at the far corner from the entrance, down by the road. A thought for another time, I think we should have arranged a meeting or swapped mobile phone numbers by email. Glad to hear you had a great time, we did too, it was the best free show I have ever been to and I feel a bit mean as I have never bought anything from Ikea! Maybe next time we are shopping I had better go and have a look in the shop!

Sorry we missed you

Mike


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## 89309 (May 19, 2005)

We enjoyed all four days, especially Saturday what great weather.
I even went up to the arena at 6.00am to watch the mass lauch, must be going mad.

Left my motorhomefacts picture in the house next to my camera and phone charger - next time I will remember.

First time there and really enjioyed it, will definately be going next year.


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## 90015 (May 1, 2005)

Hi all, glad you enjoyed the fiesta as much as we all did.  

Spykal, we were parked in the third row back from the road and right opposite the festival entrance. From where you were parked did you have a clearish view of the helicopter? If you were in that corner i may have taken a photo of your motorhome, as i took a couple of photos looking over the campsite from the helicopter landing area while we were waiting for our daughter and her boyfriend to come back from their helicopter flight.
:idea: :idea: :idea: Good idea for next year to swap mobile no's, maybe i could have a birthday bash with some of you motorhomefacts members, there's nothing like a few bevvies to break the ice amongst "strangers".

We've got it penciled in again for next year already!!!

Sad note to end on, a 21 yr old man has died after being attacked near the fairground on Sat night, our teenagers came back from the fair on Friday afternoon and said that there was some yobs hanging around.


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

hi adnil, how very sad, we left 9.30-40 sat eve and there were streams of people going in, and already loads in there, a big fun event, so for something like this to happen is quite tragic!


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

adnil said:


> Spykal, we were parked in the third row back from the road and right opposite the festival entrance. From where you were parked did you have a clearish view of the helicopter? If you were in that corner i may have taken a photo of your motorhome, as i took a couple of photos looking over the campsite from the helicopter landing area while we were waiting for our daughter and her boyfriend to come back from their helicopter flight.


Hi Adnil

Yes, you could have a picture of our van , we were in the third row back, third van along , right opposite the helicopter landing circles, when you get your pictures back ( or are they digital?) look for two autosleepers side by side ,we are the right hand one . In the next row, just behind us, one of our friends is flying the tallest flagpole with three flags, French, English and a big Welsh one ( they are a S.W. Wales group who have adopted us :lol: ).

It would have been nice to meet but you say "On Saturday, we left just after lunch" I really only had a quick look on Friday morning but my big search took place Saturday after the 6.00 pm mass launch was over so I now know why I could not find you....   

best regards

Mike

P.S. for Rob MD ..did you get to the Balloon Fiesta?, I could not find you either


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## 89309 (May 19, 2005)

We were also about 3 rows back from the wall and in plain view of the helicopter.

We have also penciled in for next year nice of Avon group to run the rally.

We were easy to spot as I had my bike with us (bright blue SuperBlackbird).

There was a little trouble with yobs throwing a few stones and bottles, I did not witness but heard from someone in the front row, next year the plan is to pitch about 50 metres back from the wall.


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## spykal (May 9, 2005)

Hi Trevor

We watched you go from our friends Dakota , we even waved goodbye to you, wish we had known you were a motorhomefactor.


P.S. liked the bike....

Mike


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## RobMD (May 9, 2005)

Sad to say we didn't make it to the Balloon Festival. We put our house up for sale, and had a couple of viewings on Sat. - so feverish activity getting it ready (not thinking of full-timing - just down-sizing).


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## 90015 (May 1, 2005)

RobMD, hope all goes well with the house sale, maybe next year you'll make it to the festival.

Spykal, from the angle i took my photos you must have been just behind the trees.

Trevor, i think you may have been parked behind us and just off to the right, we were admiring your bike from our m/home and noticed your m/home (Lunar ?) looked like it had the rear lounge, mid dinnett arrangment that we are hoping to acquire with the purchase of our next m/h (hopefully before xmas), we were going to come and talk to you about your m/h but in the end we thought it may seem a bit rude.
If i've got the right bike and it was you, you were parked behind an Auto-sleeper, like the Talisman, with a pale brown top half, on the nearside of this vehicle was a V.W Komet with a woman, two young childern and a chihuahua type dog, that was my sister-in-law from Birmingham. We were parked next to the Komet in our Compass Drifter, we had a pup tent just by the front nearside wheel, i was the short dumpy woman with red spiky hair, next to us in the Kon-Tiki with two older children, the lad was sometimes wearing a uniform of the fire brigade cadets, was my other sister-in-law from Yeovil. So you may have been closer than you thought, on second thoughts with the kids running all over the place, it's just as well we didn't meet.

We're now planning our next outing, which will be a Motor Caravanners' Club rally at Basingstoke Canal Centre, Mytchett Place Rd, Mytchett, Farnborough, Sept 3-5, it's got canal walks, small cafe, canal restoration centre, miles of quiet woodlands, boat trips down the canal and fishing, so all in all something for everyone. Hope you read this Raine as i noticed that you picked up some info about canals.
If any of you are going to this meet too then maybe we could swap mobile no's via the p.ms and meet up.


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

HI Adnil, firstly let me say, i was a bit concerned about your family connections (?) having one chichuaha dog as a sister in law was bad enough, but to have another one who dresses like a lad in cadets uniform, my sympathy friend. :lol: 
The leaflet i picked up in bath/bristol was about a show of HOUSEBOATS, loads of them will be parked up, and there will be stands and such like, and how they used to live, and a campsite!!!!!!!! 8O 
And hey!!!!!Mytchett camp site is just down the road from me, saw a silver mint there earlier in the year (we nearly bought one, 28footer-glad we didn't but she sure was nice!) Yep they have really gone to town with the canal centre and all, and we also have an unusual over the BLACKWATER VALLEY ROAD water feature. Nope trawled my brain and it crept outta site, now its lurking near the edges, ah ah! um nah, sorry, well the water goes in a specially built container over the BVR, watched it being built, road, water over the road, thingy, awesome!. We have a nice lido at guildford, and aldershot, paddling (cold) at Tilford, shallow water, paddling (hopefully) at frensham ponds, pictures at basingstoke, guildford, woking. asda,farnborough, tesco aldershot. (I,Robot was brill) oh we also have bowling at aldershot, swimming skating sports Spectrum guildford, swimming bowling,skating Basingstoke. dry ski run in aldershot to, and we have a drink free drug free cafe in aldershot, opens thurs and sun eve for teen 14 to 24, cos thats where i youth work!!! :lol:

ARGH!!!!!GOT IT -----AQUADUCT!!!!!DAH DAH


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## 89309 (May 19, 2005)

That was me in the Lunar A630.

Like most of us Door is always open to fellow M/H owners.

The m/h is great and suits us, we use the overhead bed as it's quite big, it has a rear sitting area which can be two singles or one huge bed.
The front has a dinette and with the front chair's turned round seats four comfortably, it also converts into a bed if needed.

The bike is my pride and joy, i've had it for a few years and did think about changing it this year but when I thought about it I would only change it for another Blackbird so it's not worth doing, plus I'm still enjoying this one. 

I am hoping to go to the York show next month but it will be huge so quite difficult to spot anyone, I will put my A4 logo in one of the windows (may not be the front as I will be putting screens on to discourage my dogs from the front).

Keep an eye out, visitors always welcome.


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## Bazbro (May 9, 2005)

Trevor's just given me an idea. :idea: 

Why not MotorHomeFacts.com cardboard sunscreens for front windows.

Ta-raaah!!! I thank yew! :lol: 

Barry


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## 90015 (May 1, 2005)

Hi Trevor, thanks for the info about your m/h, will send for a brochure from the dealers. Well fancy being so close yet so far, we should've had the courage to come over and have a chat with you, maybe next time.


I'm going to look into getting a motorhomefacts windsock or flag made, then everyone will know i'm in the vicinity (so run for cover).

Raine, you know what they say about choosing your friends but not your family---beware, i may have to make a choice---only joking. My family are even stranger than the in-laws, but i did explain in another thread that i could be from another planet.


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## 89309 (May 19, 2005)

What a good idea, a sunshade. 

Anyone have any connections that can make them up.
I would buy one.

My latest project, a conservatory, is taking most of my time as she who must be obeyed has decreed that we cannot go away with the M/H until it is built and floored.


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## Raine (May 10, 2005)

RAINE said:


> hi adnil, we hope to get up there for at least a few days, we were up in lincoln two weeks ago, and mattersley this w/e. ive been on the bristol site, and theres no camping on balloon site, but they do list camping areas, which one you gonna be on 8) or aint yer tellin? read your post but didnt see where or why you had to join the mcc can you explain please? thanks





> 3.16 Know what i mean John?


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