200 'RIBBONS'
by Roderick Lovesay (B.1944)

The breezes are beginning to freshen and found to be considerably stronger at the brow of the hill. The home-made kite frame was made by this little girl's father and took several evenings to perfect. At long last it is ready for it's 'maiden' flight. Mother found some coloured cotton from some old summer dresses, and hand-stitched the cut pieces around the frame. The greatest fun was of course helping to tie the ribbons into bows, spacing them carefully along the tail string.

Anticipation and confidence work hand in hand with the challenge of this initial flight. Like riding a bicycle, its easy once you have mastered the first moments. Out of sight and many yards away will be her older brother, holding the winding handle and string.

When they are both stationed and at the ready with the kite facing directly into the breeze, the final lift-off is prepared. The long tail of ribbons has to be laid out carefully like a wedding train, as it causes upset and great dismay when the uninitiated stand on it!.

There will probably be several adjustments before mastering the idiosyncrasies of the new kite. Each has its own personality and responds differently to each handler.

Today at the top of many hills, especially in the big cities, kite flying has become a great pastime with many followers. It is not always a quiet challenge for 'the team' while launching is taking place. Blame for the other's sheer stupidity is rarely held back! With special cord, some kites rise to incredible heights and often drag the handler along, unable to cope with strong winds. Some end up in the most unexpected places; sorrow replacing success quite rapidly.

This little girl and her brother won't be giving this problem a single thought until the tail string begins to snake its way upwards. The ribboned bows create such a beautiful sight waving back and forth. Without the balance and being spaced properly, the kite will just crash into the ground. So although they seem to be just an added attraction to this cotton 'bird', they are really vital to it's future progress.

"Avoid trees at all costs otherwise recovery may be impossible".... "Keep clear from other kite flyers or tangled strings might cause respite"...."Make sure you are far from a riverbank or pond, less for the sake of the kite than the unfortunate handler concentrating on the sky!.....This also applies both to cow pastures and cliff edges".

What a perfect sight it will be when it darts and dives, directed only by tugs from below.

N.B. Kites were first recorded in China in 549 A.D., and were used for military communication. This earliest man made bird-on-a-string was brought by the Arabs to Europe, when in 1589 it was known to be used by the Italians__