THE high-fliers were back in town, pulling their strings.

In its fledgling days, Southampton Kite Festival was very much a one-day event at the Lordshill Outdoor Sports Centre but it has now got a prime space in the city's weekend summer calendar.

It has grown into an international event, this year attracting former world champions in Londoners Carl and James Robertshaw, as well as about a dozen national aces. The international flavour was enhanced with enthusiasts from France, South Africa and the Netherlands.

Their kites cost several hundreds of pounds and the fliers don't exactly turn up at events with just one!

For the novice, who caught the bug of old-fashioned fun from watching the experts with their inspirational demonstrations, there was a workshop showing how to put together an unsophisticated number for as little as £1.50.