Pocklington gears up for annual Flying Man Festival (From York Press)
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Pocklington gears up for annual Flying Man Festival
8:22am Tuesday 15th May 2012 in East Yorkshire news
By Jennifer Bell, jennifer.bell@thepress.co.uk
HISTORIC aeroplanes will be soaring over East Yorkshire later this month as part of an annual town festival celebrating the adventures of Pocklington’s “flying man”.
It is hoped this year’s Pocklington Flying Man Festival will be the biggest and best yet, with entertainment including an air display by the Real Aeroplane Company, hot-air balloons and a birds of prey display by Minster Falconry.
A spokesman said: “We are extremely pleased with the programme for this year’s Flying Man. We really hope the town comes out in force and supports this fundraising event.”
The Flying Man festival celebrates the life of Thomas Pelling, a travelling stuntman whose legend lives on in the East Yorkshire town after his popular flying illusion went disastrously wrong in 1733. He donned a pair of wings and tethered a tightrope between one of the pinnacles of the All Saints’ Church, but instead of soaring gracefully he plummeted to an early death.
The festival, now in its eight year, annually raises money for essential repair work to the 16th-century All Saints’ Church.
This year’s festival, on May 25, 26 and 27, will kick off on Friday, with an event staged in Burnby Hall Gardens from 7pm, which includes a hog roast and performances by Woldgate College Choir.
The festival will take place in and around All Saints’ Church, which will be turned into the Flying Man café for the weekend. Daredevils have the opportunity to sign up to abseil down the church tower between 10am and 4pm on the Saturday, and for those less brave, tours of the church will take place on Sunday between 11am and 3pm. Sunday will also see the return of the flying teddy-bear slide – where children can see their favourite teddy abseil down the church. The air show display takes place on Sunday at 2pm when there will also be a number of local charity stalls, model displays and art exhibitions.
This year, the festival is working with Pocklington Arts Centre in staging a quiz in the venue’s studio on Saturday from 7pm, with tickets available from All Saints’ Church.
