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Growing
up with the Fiesta
by Phil Hooper, Live at the Fiesta |
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THIS
STORY LAST UPDATED:
13 August 2002 1105 BST
Phil Hooper was born in Bristol and has lived at Ashton close
to the International Balloon Fiesta for most of his life.
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than 12 balloons took flight at lunchtime on Thursday. |
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"I
live in Ashton in Bristol and when I was about six years old
I used to watch the hot air balloons come right over my house
when the Fiesta was on.
After getting bored of watching stunt planes from my bedroom
window occasionally shoot up from behind a row of houses, my
parents took me to the Fiesta for the first time.
I enjoyed every part of the Fiesta, the trade stands, music
and, of course, the balloons.
Ever since that first visit to the Fiesta I have gone every
year to enjoy more of the fun that the organisers had planned.
As I got older I started to look at ballooning websites where
I found out lots of interesting stuff like photos from previous
fiestas, links to other balloon websites and general balloon
information.
This gave me the idea to make my own website that gave similar
information which was quick and easy to use.
I made the website in February 2000 and up to today I have had
well over 18,000 visitors.
Since have the website I was contacted by a Bristol pilot, Lee
Hooper, and he introduced me into ballooning and I became one
of his crew.
He took me ballooning in France as part of my first week of
work experience.
For my second week I went to Cameron Balloons in Bedminster.
From this I learnt how much work goes into making a balloon
and how much ballooning means to the people of Bristol.
The Bristol International Balloon Fiesta is a huge event for
Bristol and visitors, pilots and exhibitors come from all over
the world.
After the foot-and-mouth restrictions that severely cut short
last years event, this years varied programme promises to be
the biggest and best Fiesta ever.
So, why not see the event up close and realise your dreams."
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You
are in:
:: Balloon Fiesta 2002 |
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