KITES of all shapes and sizes will be featured when the Swindon Kite Festival takes place at Lydiard Park later this month.

Organised by the White Horse Kite Flyers, the show has taken around three months to organise.

Returning to Lydiard Park after a seven-year absence the past few years it has been held at the Science Museum at Wroughton and last year's show was cancelled due to foot and mouth disease there will be various stalls, a children's kite workshop, kite traders, jugglers and food stalls.

One of the more unusual features of this year's kite festival will be teddy bear parachuting. Children are invited to bring along their teddies, so a parachute can be attached and teddy taken aloft by kite. At the correct height, he will make his descent.

Dave Robinson, show organiser and member of the White Horse Kite Flyers, explained: "Kite-flying has a beauty of its own, there is nothing like building a kite and then seeing it float in the air, it's really relaxing."

Among the kites on display will be para-foils, which work in a similar process to the wings of a biplane. There will also be aerobatic kites that fly in formation and even kites capable of lifting a man, although this won't be demonstrated.

The show takes place on Saturday, May 11 and on Sunday, May 12 from 10am to 5pm each day. Entrance is free, although a small fee is needed for the teddy bear parachuting.

For more information call David on Swindon 824208.