08/08/2014 BBC Points West

Through Sunday and inch or two inches of rain, gales are possible

Tonight we're at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta

as thousands from across thd west prepare for a party in the skies.

Our headlines from the fiesta tonight.

The remarkable journey of the fiesta and how it?s lade

the west of England the ballooning capital of the world.

On a wing and a prayer ` what happened when a special shape

And we will remember them ` the fiesta pauses to reflect

Hello ` the balloon fiesta soared off to a spectacular start this

morning with one of the most impressive mass lift offs in years.

We are hoping for a repeat performance tonight ` but

Many of the balloons are inflating behind us but we have been huddling

under a umbrella or though ht was meant to be 0% chance of rahn. The

balloons we understand are going to take off and they are heading

towards Kingswood. The event has become one of

the most important in the west country calendar ` with

world wide coverage worth mhllions We'll be finding out how thd

organisers have learnt a few tricks from the

Glastonbury Festival to propel the But first ` that mass ascent

early this morning. Cooking bacon in the open ahr, a hot

cup of coffee. A breathtaking view. It is an adventure, waking tp in the

dark, wearing pyjamas. We have been coming since wd were

their rage. As balloons only fly at dawn and

dusk, pilots are used to early starts and many have travelled a

long way to be here. Very very big meeting, yes. 130

balloons, in Belgium, the m`ximum is 30.

The fiesta is months in the planning. This production company is

the team behind events incltding Glastonbury and the summer solstice.

This is their purpose`built office at Ashton Court. We have evdrything,

Wi`Fi, telephones, photocophers everything you need to run ` fully

fledged office. A team of 50 is in charge of keeping

the site litter free. People in Bristol have been using

these bins for years. They have got used to it. Back at the year 20 0 it

was a new idea. Now, people use them properly.

The cans are full of Cannes. It is all about the balloons. With

near`perfect weather this morning, many enjoyed their first evdr

flight. I am amazed how many balloons in

such a small space. Hopefully that isn't one of them! It was the gun to

say the pilots can take off. Out over Bristol. What a wax to

start the day. We have liftoff! This place is like Heathrow Airport for

balloons. Very very busy. It looks so straightforward and easy and

peaceful. Not always. There

was dramatic landing for ond of the hot air balloons which was hnvolved

in last night's mass ascent. It came down in South

Gloucestershire hitting a l`mp post. That was more of a dangle at the

end. It looks frightening. @mazing pictures. Imaging is out and about

someone in the crowds. Did xou jump out of your skin?

Yes, you join me here on He`ven Hill. Heavenly because of the

wonderful view it gives us of the arena. The heavens have almost

opened but they have stopped for now. It has been a fantastic day.

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS WITH SOUND There was a problem with thd camera.

Unfortunately we would go b`ck to imaging later. For now, we have an

extra treat. Look behind us. You can see the air is filled with hot air

balloons at the moment. It hs a hive of activity. When I spoke to a

balloonist earlier, I asked about the weather, he said it was tasty.

I don't know what he meant. Windy on the ground.

It is such a community. They all help each other out. It is

lovely. This is a special edition of Points West to mark an event that is

important for Bristol and the entire West Country. News and sport a

little late in the programmd. Just a reminder that this is

a special edition of Points West ` to mark an event that has bdcome

important not just for Bristol First ` the fiesta is supporting

a west country charity this year called Above and Beyond,

which raises money for hosphtals. The 40`year`old charity has

a brand new balloon to boost it s Over a hundred volunteers h`ve the

full support of the fiesta to raise The balloon fiesta is such

a passionate event and it so mirrors the passion I see every day

in hospital from doctors and nurses so I think the relationship between

the fiesta and us is so pertinent at this point because it is gohng to

change health care services The appeal is already helping

patients at the Bristol Haelatology Providing the first specialhst

bone marrow transplant unit. Until now patients had to

travel between three hospit`ls. It was very tough going to London

every two weeks for two years Equally here being treated

in two hospitals you had And it would be great to be treated

under one roof where you get to know the staff and have a relationship

with them throughout your treatment. The unit is already being used

by patients, now they can have their famhlies

spend time and support them during The patients will be in potdntial

life`threatening situations where they need urgent treatment that they

will have to come in as emergency. That can be frightening but now we

are doing it under one roof so we will get to know the patients

and their families and see them Patients here at the Bristol Royal

Infirmary will also benefit from a new state of the art intensive

care unit provided by the appeal as well as many other projects to give

patients more privacy and dhgnity. More from the balloon fiest` very

shortly ` but first some of today's A no`fly zone is being put

in place over Bristol for three days The event will see world

leaders descend upon Celtic Manor, Many of the delegates are expected

to stay in Bristol for the summit, and light aircraft won't be allowed

above the city. The man who stabbed

his ex`girlfriend to death as she worked in

a Gloucester hair salon has launched Asher Maslin was jailed for

life last month for murdering twenty He was told it will be 24 ydars

before he's considered for release. The former Liberal Democrat leader

of Bristol City Council, Barbara The appointment of 22 new mdmbers

of the House of Lords was confirmed The former teacher says she sees it

as a chance to wave the flag The football season returns

tomorrow, and we're looking After their one`year adventtre

in the Championship, Despite finishing bottom of the

championship, the manager G`ry Johnson has rebuilt the squ`d after

a sum of departures. There `re ten new faces. And a new signing. As to

their chances of returning to the championship, the bookies expect

them to be challenging for the play`offs, 6`1 to go up. We asked a

supporter who has been going for 50 years to make his assessment.

My name is Rich and I am a massive Yeovil Town fan.

I've been coming here since the '60s, a massive fan since then.

This is me against Swindon Town 1962.

Last season it was a fantastic experience in the championship

Best of luck to the teams. Back to and it is up to these lads to do

Best of luck to the teams. Back to the balloon fiesta now. Alex and

David. You are missing out hn the dreary old studio! We are on our

holidays at the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. It is the largest annual

balloon fiesta. One of the biggest anywhere in the world. Quitd an

achievement. The first fiesta only had a few balloons.

So, how did it go from its small beginnings to something so big?

Scott Ellis has been looking back on the history of the

Ballooning as a hobby was ndw in Europe and a Glaswegian

aeronautical engineer from Bristol was the pioneer.

It would worry me in case the fabric caught fire in this roaring flame.

The hobby grew into Cameron?s balloons

Don gave a talk to the Junior Chamber of Commerce

about a transatlantic balloon race he had competed in 1978.

After that, they had drinks in Clifton and decided Bristol needed

It was completely open to the public.

The Fiesta grew doubling as Bristol?s summer show and

The not`for`profit event could remain free to enter.

These days the show pulls daily crowds of 100,000.

And Cameron's is the world's biggest balloon manufacturer.

Don's daughter is also part of the business.

I can remember if I had to find my dad I would come to the balloon

So, yes, it is something th`t is growing much part of our lives.

Making it happen is obviously in the genes ` thousands have helped

build Bristol's ballooning reputation but it all startdd with

a softly spoken Scot whose hobby became a hallmark for a citx.

It is lovely seeing that. It is a shame it is cloudy after all of the

summer days we have had. It has been growing year after year. Thdy expect

500,000 people this weekend. It will be really busy. Some people come

from all over the world, we will try to return to imaging, hopeftlly she

is with some of those peopld. Sorry you lost me earlier. H have

some facts and figures. There are nine different countries taking part

in the fiesta. Countries include Thailand, USA and the Seychdlles. I

am joined by two pilots who have travelled from Belgium. Thex are

mother and daughter. Elizabdth, thank you for joining us. Why do you

come to Bristol every year? Firstly it is the biggest event in

Europe. It is a must come as a pilot to come and see.

TECHNICAL PROBLEMS WITH SOUND You have your own fiesta back in

Belgium. Tell me more. Well, it started in 1947 with gas

ballooning to commemorate the end of the Second World War. And it was gas

gas balloons, 44 hot`air balloons ballooning and then there w`s

gas balloons, 44 hot`air balloons and 16 special shapes balloons.

for four generations. How dhd you there are

get involved? It was my grandfather and friends decided to take off in a

gas balloon in Belgium. How many in your family? My mother, my

father... My brothers... My children!

Brother`in`law. Ladies, enjoy your weekend here in Bristol. Th`nk you

for joining us. Lots more happening all weekend I

will be back tomorrow so I hope you can join me then. Back to D`vid and

Alex. We have a few cameras dotted around

but also there is one looking at some of the shots you can sde now of

the balloons inflating. You can see them still squished in waithng for

the moment. This is live from a balloon. Anthony is zooming in. We

are down there somewhere, lhke a are down there somewhere, lhke a

Lego person, matchstick men Back with me on terra firma.

Ordinarily, when it's not the balloon fhesta,

It's just west of Bristol and 100 years ago during thd

First World War, its mansion house was used as a Military Hosphtal

As part of this year's commdmoration of the Great War the BBC World War I

At Home tour has picked the fiesta as one of its locations.

And earlier David went to h`ve a look around its impressive display.

I have come to another part of the site. We are reflecting, thhs is the

World War I at home website, there is a series of events over the

weekend to remind us of what happened 100 years ago would Britain

declared war on Germany and the lights went out all over Europe A

few celebrities dropping by including Larry Lamb. From

EastEnders and the one show. A lifetime at the BBC!

I am asking questions and answer my own question is about local

historians and specialists, Kate historians and specialists,

Adie is here this weekend, the BBC Adie is here this weekend, the BBC

will correspond and to find out about the effect of the war had on

with the efforts in World W`r I with the efforts in World W`r I

Why is it important people remember?

Because it is getting so far away from youngsters now that thdy have

no idea. Frankly, you might as well talk about the Norman conqudst as

World War I. 100 years ago far back to connect. I ask people how many of

them actually knew somebody or was related to someone and it is very

few now. The stories are very poignant.

Absolutely. They are. This is a way for

youngsters and all age groups really to get a sense of the changd and

what it was like. Things so rudimentary and so simple.

Larry, great to see you. Th`nk you for coming to us from the e`st end!

Every soul scene in these phctures has long departed this earth. Lost

in the mists of time. But 100 years after this film was shot, the

extraordinary story of the wartime railways can be told. Their role

taking the boys to war is wdll documented. But they had another

duty. Which is less well`known. To bring them home.

Today's expresses hurtle along the lines that Brunel built for GWR the

same tracks that led to war. In 1914, the railways answered the

nations call to arms and for the next four years, the great Western

was linked to the great war in life was linked to the great war in life

and death struggle which took the company to the brink of exh`ustion

collapse. We are in a steam Museum in Swindon housed in the buhldings

1914. It would have been a high of 1914. It would have been a high of

industry literally. There would have been people busying themselves, a

lot of the workers here would be going off to war and so the company

would be busying itself transporting troops and also trying to work out

how they will replace the mdn that were going off to war. The war

changed the course of history in many `` and many books have been

written but there is a small innovation that has never h`d any

publicity even though it helped save many lives. It is all down to a man

who worked here are a middld manager called Frank. Frank is one of the

unsung heroes of the conflict. He worked on the ambulance trahn

project transporting sick and injured troops. This book of old

photographs show Frank?s idda in action. He redesigned the inside of

beds on top of each other m`king the beds on top of each other m`king the

middle bunk foldable so you can put middle bunk foldable so you can put

the bed below increasing capacity. the bed below increasing capacity.

It meant more people could be rescued from the front and brought

back home for survival. On the front, workers from Swindon helped

lead the tracks and the trahns supplied to the British and

Americans were a place of pdace Men, horribly injured were tended by

their comrades and then entrusted to the care of gentle nurses. @nd the

trains took them away from `ll of this, from death to the chance of

life. As for Frank, the man who did so much to bring them home, he was

awarded both the CBE and OBD and died just after the war. More

thoughts on the great War 100 years ago, not that long when you think of

it. To put on a free event as bhg

as this takes months and months One of the driving forces

behind the fiesta is the husband and They've both been involved

with the fiesta for a long time and are both very experiencdd

balloon pilots. Our Kamran `` cameraman is tp with

Clive. Yes, amazing. We can see some of the shots.

This is what you can see. I wish I was up there. We are with you.

How optimistic argue about the rest of the weekend?

It looks good for the morning and we hope for a big ascent to row night.

There was also the wonderful night glow. It is a must. You must come

down. It is more difficult for the special shapes.

The wind has to be light of the special shapes.

Some of them are taking off tonight. We hope to write morning thdre will

be more. Nice to see. Thank you.

Now of course the weather is hugely important for balloonists.

So what's it looking like this weekend.

The balloons are up and running we are hopeful for tomorrow morning.

Let's bring the graphics up. Saturday, there will be a fdw

showers developing but they will run through quickly. There will be dry

and sunny weather as well. Sunday, a much more inclement day, hurricane

Bertha coming our way. A wet day but it is a question of how windy it

will be. There is a Met Offhce warning. There is a threat of wind

and coastal flooding. It cotld be an issue on Monday and Tuesday.

warning. There is a threat of wind and coastal flooding. It cotld be an

issue on Monday and Tuesday. We will be keeping an eye on that. Keep

up`to`date with the forecast. As we head into tomorrow, the balloons go

up at six o'clock. They will follow a similar track to today, ott

towards East, Bedminster and towards East, Bedminster and

Keynsham. Keep an eye out. @ wider look at the weekend, it is `

question of a fair amount of dry weather about despite mediul level

cloud. Some showers but as we head into tomorrow you will see some

showers coming in from the West By the end of the day, more in the way

of outbreaks of rain. Tonight, temperatures will be down to 14 or

15 Celsius but to write morning a dry and bright start and a few

showers running in from the West. They will push quite quicklx and you

will notice some people will avoid the showers, the wind will turn

brisker and eventually more sunshine `` showers in the evening pdriod by

ten o'clock. That signals the arrival of Bertha. 20, 20 when

Celsius to arrive. This is the outlook, it is focused towards

Sunday and just how bad conditions will be. There is some uncertainty

about that. For sure, on Sunday expect some heavy rain. We will now

enjoy the balloons! Some exciting `` excited children behind you. I will

be interviewing Kate Adie tomorrow about women in the First World War.

There is an update at 10pm `nd we will see one Monday. Have a lovely

weekend. Safe flight! Goodbxe.