Bristol Balloon Fiesta

Organisers of the Europe's biggest balloon festival in Bristol say they are on cloud nine after a record-breaking weekend. Hundreds of thousands turned out to attend this year's four-day Bristol International Balloon Fiesta - which is now in its 35th year. More than 250 flights took to the skies.

People turned out in force to see hundreds of balloons take to the skies this weekend, with ascents from new special shapes including Stuart, the Despicable Me Minion **

This year’s event featured 259 lifts from balloons taking part in mass ascents and a record breaking 74 balloons landing in a single field on Saturday morning. That was out of 107 taking off at the old Cadbury Factory in Keynsham.

Other events included the Breitling Wingwalkers on Saturday - the world’s only synchronised biplane performance team.

There were flyovers by an RAF Typhoon and a Red Arrows display on Friday afternoon.

And not to forget the world-famous night glows drawing in the crowds on Thursday and Saturday

Our reporter Laura Makin-Isherwood made her first ever balloon flight at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta last night.

She took her camera along and caught the adventure from the moment the balloons inflated at the festival site to landing. Spot Ashton Court mansion as she flies over.

We put the flight to music - "Sit back", composed by Louis Edwards and Henry Parsley and published by Music House.

It's another beautiful day for ballooning on the last day of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. 77 took off earlier in a mass ascent.

Over the last few days the people of Bristol have had an aerial treat with so many colourful creations flying over their roofs, not to mention the odd Typhoon.

No doubt you've been getting your cameras out and we'd love to put together a gallery on our website.

You can email your pictures to westcountry@itv.com or post them on our Facebook site.

More than a hundred balloons took to the skies above Bristol this morning on the third day of the international fiesta.

The festival's pulling in the crowds again today and, one of the special shape balloons had a hero's welcome, as Laura Makin-Isherwood reports:

If you thought the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta was just about hot air balloons - think again.

This performer at the festival site at Ashton Court is doing aerobatic flying or parabatics with the help of a chute and a motor.

Watch out also for the Breitling wing-walkers.

What worries us though is the state of the sky in the photo and what it means for the prospects of another mass ascent at 6 pm.

106 balloons took part in this morning's mass ascent at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. If you missed it, there will be another one - weather and wind conditions permitting - at 6 pm.

Organisers recommend arriving at Ashton Court early to get a good spot and have a picnic while you wait.

Stuart the Minion, the latest special shape balloon from Cameron Balloons, is back on show at the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta. He needed some tender loving care back at the factory after his trousers were torn in a strong gust of wind yesterday morning.

Special events to look out for on day three of the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta