In Pictures: Balloons take to skies in colourful start to Midlands Air Festival

Hot-air balloons of all shapes, colours and sizes provided a worthy opening spectacle for the Midlands Air Festival on Friday.

The festival is not just a load of hot air, with other forms of flight due to take part in the event in Alcester in Warwickshire during the weekend.

Floating over the Warwickshire countryside, the parade of balloons provided a varied spectacle in every colour of the rainbow to further improve the mood of a nation emerging from lockdown.

A kaleidoscope of colours could be seen in the skies while some unusually-shaped balloons catching the eye.

One resembling a black cat was among the pigeons as it rose from the ground and cast its eye over swathes of the English countryside while an orange dragon-shaped rival also took to the skies, although in this case the fire was not coming from the nostrils but instead from the burner below.

Ragley Hall in Alcester is the base for the event which runs through the weekend with flying displays scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.

Among other spectacles on offer, according to the Midlands Air Festival website, were a Nightfire event with fireworks streaming from aircraft as they perform loops and rolls.

As for the balloons, more than 100 were scheduled to attend the event and they will take part in further activities as the weekend progresses.

It is the third year of the family-friendly event.