YOU may have spotted a giant pink elephant floating in the sky in recent weeks – a giant elephant that was actually a kite being piloted by Andover’s former kite flying champions.

Allan and Marilyn Pothecary, of Eardley Avenue, have been back out and about flying their array of kites after a spell out of action during lockdown.

The couple, have been flying kites together as a hobby for nearly thirty years, are often spotted in Picket Twenty, taking their various designs to skies.

The enforced lockdown put paid to those plans, but after weeks out of the game they’re now back in business and have recently been spotted flying their giant pink elephant and trilobite (pictured) kites, to name a few, in the airwaves above Andover.

Allan and Marilyn are former British sport kite pairs champions, a discipline that involves competitors flying their kites together in synchronisation.

Today, they fly purely for fun, sharing footage and footage to their website and Facebook page. Although social distancing restrictions have affected the way they do things.

“People usually have a thousand and two questions when they see our displays,” Allan told the Advertiser, “and we are always happy to answer but are more wary of close contact in these times especially going under the name of ‘Close Encounters’.”

But with the help of signs reminding people to keep their distance, they’ve been able to continue to enjoy doing what they do best. And so too have passers-by, who Allan says appreciate their displays almost as much as they do themselves.

“If people didn’t get a kick out of it, we wouldn’t get a kick out of it,” he said. “But it’s not an easy thing to do. If it was, then we wouldn’t want to do it.”

Some of Allan and Marylin’s kites measure upwards of 35 metres. And these are serious pieces of kit – some costing hundreds of pounds.

Allan is also a regular columnist for kite magazines and has been involved in training kite flyers of the future – including the current British champions who inherited he and Marylin’s title.

“I’m always keen on training and helping people,” Allan added. “The more people in the sport, or hobby, the longer it’s going to last.”

To see more of their photos and videos go to Facebook and search for ‘Kite Displays - Close Encounters Kite Display Team’ or visit www.kitedisplays.co.uk.