In 1998 Kites Up started making commercial banners. They have also created swimming pool decoration and worked on projects for the Team Philips Catamaran, American Airlines, Guardian Book Awards and the Orange TV advert (along with other kite makers).

They have made kites for the Forsyth Saga as well as builiding a box kite on behalf of Ken Russell for a South Bank programme about Edwardians. Recently Disney Channel approached Kites Up and they had kids in the workshop making kites which they then took outside and flew. This should be on TV soon.

This digital solvent ink printer (right) is their latest acquisition and it is keeping them busy.

Solvent Based Digital Printing is the process by which anything in a digital format can be printed onto different types of materials: vinyls, flag fabric, cotton, poly-cotton, Chikara as well as paper media.

You can have any image or graphic printed and made into a banner or kite. The ink is waterproof and UV resistant. Samples are available on request.

Kites Up organise the Middle Wallop kite and buggy festivals on the 'largest lawn in England', which came about from the days when parakarters could use part of the airfield on Sundays. Ron Moulton originally organised Middle Wallop, followed by Merv Turner. Roy took over about seven years ago.

The first Middle Wallop festival made £32. Nowadays it has its own fund and the marquee that kept all of us dry in 2002 is owned by the Middle Wallop fund. The event is run without sponsorship and money is made from the beer tent and camping. Therefore be sure to drink lots of beer at Middle Wallop to help support the festival.

In 2003 Roy & Hayley are planning to equip the festival with new toilets that will have lighting and possibly even running water. We've already seen the photographs - very nice indeed.

As well as Middle Wallop, Kites Up also organise the Wellington Country Park kite festival in conjunction with the White Horse Kite Flyers (WHKF). The festival is now in its third year. Roy is also on the Basingstoke food and trader committee.

Roy is a practical sort of chap and as well as being a keen buggier (he used to make the Slingshot buggy), he is just at home flying a single line kite, because "single line kites leave you free to drink beer with the other hand". Now, you can't argue with that can you?

Snails

Finally, why would a kite shop have lots and lots of snail ornaments on display?
This is a good question and one which we are not even going to attempt to answer - it's too long a story. However we're sure that if you ask Kites Up or Paul Morgan at Sky Bums then they will be more than happy to give an explanation.

For a photo of the (almost) complete snail collection that Kites Up and Sky Bums possess, see the picture from the Basingstoke kite festival in 2002.