Kites

I watched the film Mary Poppins on New Years Day in January, and was much moved by the closing scene in which everyone is flying a kite, and it all ends happily. I was once very much into kites. Why not rekindle that interest? So a few months later, at the end of August, I bought - I should say 'repurchased' - a copy of David Pelham's definitive book on the history of kites, kite flying, and how to make them at home. I got it from the Oxfam Online Shop for £13.94, including delivery. I bought the original copy (published by Penguin) in 1976, nearly fifty years ago, for £2.75. It wasn't durable as a paperback - the pages would come loose - and eventually I discarded my first copy, intending to buy a replacement. But I never did, until this year.  

The 1970s saw kites take off. Hitherto regarded (in this country) as mainly a children's thing, there was suddenly a renewed interest in them, possibly spurred on by the then-new sport of hang-gliding. One could now buy ready-made 'stunter' kites that could be manoeuvred to swoop this way and that on beaches and hilltops. Everyone seemed to want to do that. (It was harder than it looked)

I'd noticed all this. But what made me delve into kite history and kite making back then? I really can't remember now, all these years afterwards. However, I do have a picture I took on 17th April 1975 of my younger brother Wayne holding a kite he'd made. At the time he spent his Sunday afternoons helping disabled children in a local special school, and of course kites could be flown by those who were stuck in a wheelchair. I fancy he'd made it for the enjoyment of the children, probably as a team project with others at his local church (unlike me, Wayne was religious and wanted to do Good Things). Anyway, here he is with his creation, outside Mum and Dad's house in Southampton. I was probably going to give him a lift to the school in my pale yellow Renault 12. That's Dad's red and white Citroën D Special in the background. We were into French cars at the time.

That looks like Christmas wrapping paper to me, but otherwise the kite certainly looks the business. I can't recall what Wayne said about its performance, but I'm sure that my curiosity must have been stirred.

Back to David Pelham's book. It was a revelation. I read about the history of kites. About oriental kites in particular, for fighting and for spectacular display. About kites used for rescue and wartime purposes, and how they inspired the first attempts at flight, and many other things about these tethered aircraft. Here it is (the copy I've now bought in 2025). As ever, click on any shot to enlarge it.

Half the pages in his book were devoted to making the various kites he discussed. I attempted some of the simpler designs. I didn't need much in the way of materials or equipment: just dowelling,  appropriate fabric or plastic, a ruler, scissors, coloured tape, metal eyelets, some kind of reel, and a lot of cord. Here are some of my own creations from 1977.

I tried out that red and blue box kite on Stockbridge Down, west of Winchester. Although it was breezy, and the kite nicely made, it was too heavy to lift off. To be honest, I was rather glad it hadn't. Box kites are efficient fliers, and this one would have pulled me into the air if the wind had been strong enough to make it fly. (I'm afraid my sewing skills didn't go further than this back in 1977)

Later in 1977 I made a sled kite in what I called the 'J' series (J for what?), which did fly, rather well. And when it came to reels, I was inventive with bits of plastic tubing and fishing line.

I had a young friend at the time, who shared my kite-making and kite-flying enthusiasm. Here are some shots from 1979 and 1982:

Bryan Ferry of Roxy Music was the love of her life. Me? By this time in 1982 I was only months away from getting married. But that's another story.

As you can see, the inspiration I took from David Pelham's book lasted several years. I found kite-making and kite-flying absorbing and relaxing. Photography was restricted by cost, the limitations of the cameras I could buy, and few opportunities to go anywhere exciting. But kite-flying on, say, Wimbledon Common was doable. The Wombles didn't get in the way. They cheered and applauded.

Here are some of the kite-making pages in the book.

That last is the sled kite design that originated in 1950, but later modified with various types of cut-out, to provide stability and avoid inward collapse in flight. This is the kind I most like, partly because it's easy to make and rolls up for transport. 

Will I try building a kite in 2025? I'm toying with the idea, but I don't think flying it would be so much fun. There are now regulations on where you can fly these things, and how high. And what if the kite encountered a drone? I see scope for damage and recriminations. However...

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Four new jackets!

Four new jackets?  How did I afford it, especially having spent so much on a new laptop? Well, it might have been just one jacket plus a pair of boots. But the kind of boots I had in mind weren't in the shops this winter. So cash was freed up to buy jackets. All will keep me warm enough on chilly evenings. Two are especially suitable for repelling cold weather. And only two of them were really expensive.

Jacket number one was discovered at FatFace in Ludlow, an attractive town I know pretty well in Shropshire. Here I am trying it on.

It was a semi-formal baggy polyester-and-wool charcoal jacket with a herringbone pattern and a black silky lining, all nicely cut and sewn. I wanted a roomy size 18 jacket that would drape over me, rather than fit me like a glove. The 18 was very comfortable to wear. Unfortunately I then tried on a size 16, just to see, and then couldn't make up my mind. 16 or 18? The 16 was a better conventional fit, in that it clung to me more snugly. But it emphasised my shape too well. Whereas the 18 flowed over my tummy and disguised it. And the 18 was subtly more casual and comfortable-looking. And yet...

Well, I didn't want to make a mistake. After half an hour of indecision, I left the shop. I would sleep on it. 

A couple of days later, when at FatFace in Oystermouth (I was visiting the Mumbles, then going on to Worm's Head on The Gower) I saw it again, tried on the size 18, and without further ado bought the thing. The cost was £110. I wore it almost at once, at an evening meal with friends Jean and Geoff who live near Lymington (in Hampshire).

Which brings me on to jacket number two. Now this was most definitely a fashion purchase. But the styling is timeless and it won't look dated in the years ahead. While shopping in Lymington with Jean, we came to a shop selling Blueberry leather jackets. An entire rainbow range of colours, in soft nappa leather. I thought Blueberry items were available online only. I was immediately interested, as I only had one leather jacket - a soft brown thing I bought in Harrogate years many before. It was still an occasional jacket choice. But brown is a bit boring. This one wasn't in the slightest bit boring. It was orange! Here it is, back at Jean and Geoff's:

And here I am, wearing it at home, about to enjoy a sunny-day lunch:

Jean had approved. My local Sussex friends loved it too, and wanted to try it on, not that it quite fitted everyone:

So now I had two soft leather jackets. Did I squander a small fortune on this one? No. It wasn't cheap, but at £189 - the Lymington shop was having a sale - it was a good deal less expensive than the official online price, which seemed to be £385. So I got a bargain, as well as a striking jacket. 

Even so, I'd so far spent £110 + £189 = £299. But I didn't stop there. 

A week and a half later - just over a month ago - I was in Canterbury in Kent with my cousin Rosemary. As was our invariable custom, we had a good lunch first, then we did our round of the shops we like. These included Mountain Warehouse, which had moved into the spacious premises formerly occupied by Wilko. And there I spotted two quite different jackets that would be perfect for cold weather. This was one of them - jacket number three - a cosy fleece jacket in dusky pink, which I thought would be ideal for winter evenings at home. Here I am, wearing it in the changing room at Mountain Warehouse.

Here's a closer look at the fleece back at home:

I feel beautifully snug in it when the cold rain lashes down outside. So soft and warm. 

Jacket number four was hanging up in that changing room: a bright yellow puffer jacket. What better to combat frosty days, or chilly winds on an exposed beach? 

These were the two less-expensive jackets. The yellow puffer jacket cost £39.99. The pink fleece jacket only £24.99. I think I got value for money there. I love them both.

All told, £110 + £189 + £40 + £25 = £364 spent. But at last I have - taking into account my other coats and jackets - an adequate range of great-looking outer garments.  

But I still haven't got the boots I wanted. Oh well. Next year.

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