Royston Annual Charity Kite Festival & Historic Vehicle Show

4th August - Annual Charity Kite Festival and Historic Vehicle Show

Rotarians were on a-high on Sunday, when over 5,000 people came to the 2019 Royston Kite Festival which took to the air again over Therfield Heath.   The day was "a roaring success" said Royston Rotarian Ray Munden, who managed this year's event.  "Everything seemed to work in our favour this year," he said.  "The weather was warm, but not too hot, a good breeze pleased the kite fliers, the historic vehicles sparkled, and of course Royston families turned out in strength to support the show."

The teddy bear parachute drop sessions proved to be as popular as ever with youngsters queuing up to give their treasured friends a fur-raising experience!   

The space round the arena was filled with family groups, many with picnics, and there were more traders and community organisation stalls than ever.  Ray said: "It's become a real community event, which is what Rotary is all about.  It's wonderful that the festival raises money for charity , but it's just as important that we bring our local community together on this unique day out."

The car that won the cup in the Historic Vehicle Show was a 1935 Austin Chalfont 6/18 owned by Mr & Mrs John Ives.  This vehicle is totally original and unrestored having spent most of its life in a museum.   It has a one-off bespoke interior and was originally commissioned by an unknown person of royal blood, hence the interior privacy screens.  Originally 10 were bodied like this of which 6 remain worldwide mainly in museums.  John acquired the car last year and prior to his ownership it had only enjoyed 4 outings in the previous 14 years.

About 5,000 people came to the Festival, and although the full accounts won't be ready for some days, Rotarians are sure that there will be a healthy surplus to benefit president Martin Berry's chosen charity, the Sick Children's Trust.  Ray paid tribute to the hard work of the many Rotarians whose effort and commitment made the day a success.  "It's an amazing piece of teamwork, and it shows that when we all pull together, we can do amazing things," he said. 

Neil Heywood
Royston