Manor Lodge Kite Event

Manor Lodge Kite Festival 08/04/05

Sheffield Kite Fliers were approached by Green Estate, an organization working on the Sheffield Manor estate based at the Sheffield Manor Lodge (as seen in 2004 on BBC's Restoration TV program), to help with a kite Festival they were running. The idea was to get some of the SKF members flying kites on the field outside the Manor Lodge itself and/or showing our kites to the people visiting. Children would be able to make simple single line plastic kites, paper areoplanes - that sort of thing.

However due to the fact that this was going to be held on a Friday meant that most of us couldn't attend the event, so when the day came I was there by myself. Upon arrival at the Manor Lodge I promptly noticed two things: 1) it was windy and 2) it was cold. Well actually it was very windy and very gusty. So out came the trusty Revolution 1.5 SLE since it seems to handle gusty winds well.

My family disappeared off into the lodge to look around and to try their hands at making things, leaving me (Daddy) to fly. Despite the conditions I managed to fly OK (first time flying in snow showers!) and it wasn't long before I spotted the kids climbing over the back castle wall to come and have a look. And so I ended up with 3 kids - all aged about 10/11. The conversation went something like this:

Kids: Hello. Is that your kite?

KiteJan: Hi. Yes it is.

Kids: Can I have a go?

KiteJan (who had been waiting for this one): Sorry, the wind is too difficult.

Kids (pointing at kite lines): Are these made of elastic?

KiteJan: No - a kind of a string.

Kids: How much did that kite cost then?

KiteJan: About £200 in the shops.

Kids: I wouldn't pay £200 for a kite!

KiteJan: Well I actually made that one.

Kids: Corr! Is that your job?

KiteJan (wishing he could say "yes"): Well, no actually.

And so it went on. And I have to say despite their appearance they were all right, and soon went into the lodge to make things of there own.

After a while I took out the new Tumbling Snowflake kite to see how that would fare - but I found that it doesn't fly in very gusty winds - ends up tumbling a little bit too much. But it looks nice, even if it is on the ground and got some nice comments. I had a little more success with the Papillon 4 - flown on short lines - but again the wind wasn't kind.

After 3:00pm no one else appeared to be coming into the Lodge, so I called it a day and packed up. Found my family (who were by this time sheltering in the car), had a quick look round the Lodge and made my good-byes to the Green Estate people and went to grab a coffee at B&Q Warehouse to warm up.

Was it worth it? In my opinion: Yes. The Manor estate has a bad reputation, so any group which tries to improve things within the community gets my support - and if by flying my kites & talking about them for a couple of hours it helps then it's good for me too. It was a shame more people didn't come but the weather was not nice, and I think it didn't get advertised in the local press so most people didn't know about it. Maybe next time......

My last view as I drive off was one of the kids (I think one of the ones who spoke to me earlier) running up and down in the ruined part of the castle flying the kite they had made and looking like they were having excellent fun.