Birdman takes off in China

For Jenny Jones, committee member and entertainment organiser of the Bognor competition, committee secretary Anne Cranham and one of Bognor Birdman's regular fliers Tony Hughes, an invitation to see how it's done Chinese-style was an offer not to be missed.

So when an email arrived at Bognor Regis Town Hall earlier this year from Lou Ming, known to his English friends as Benny and the producer of a Chinese entertainment television channel ETV, saying that they had heard of the town's famous annual event and were staging their own second birdman show, the committee was ready and willing to help out. 'Benny came over and met last year's joint champion Tony Hughes before coming back to our home where we showed him a film of Bognor's event,' said Jenny. 'He was in hysterics.'

Accepting the TV company's generous offer to cover the costs of all their accommodation and inland minibus travel, the contingent took off for Hunan Province in central China, some 400 miles north of Hong Kong last month to see the spectacle for themselves.

In all, 30 flyers who had won their way through from heats, which took place throughout the country, were among the serious contenders and fun flyers due to take part, with competitors receiving a trophy and cash prizes for their efforts.

'But there was no lift and no wind on the lake and few competitors had proper craft,' said Jenny.

'We looked around the day before and it was absolute chaos. They had to finish the toilets, lay the road to the car park, finish the ramp and they must have worked all night to do it.'

By the time the day dawned, an impressive televised opening ceremony saw 300 school children waving huge plain red flags and government officials on hand to perform the opening ceremony.

Jenny was also given the honour of presenting the first competitor with one of Bognor's own Birdman badges which she was asked to pin on his T-shirt.

'I was asked to greet him with a kiss on both cheeks and give him a hug before retreating behind the scenes,' said a bemused Jenny who had taken out 30 of this year's badges to give to the flyers as a memento of the occasion.

'I think the organisers learnt from the Bognor experience and from Tony, who did a demonstration jump, that their platform should be higher and that it would be better to stage the event somewhere where there is constant wind,' she said.

The event was front page news the next day in a newspaper printed in the capital of Hunan '“ the Changsha evening newspaper, and plans are already being made to stage next year's Chinese Birdman competition before the Beijing Olympics in May.

'It was a marvellous trip and afterwards we were taken further north to Zhangjajie, a picturesque and scenic mountainous area.'

Complete with the highest elevator and cable car in China, Jenny said the visit was both exhausting and exhilarating.

It also brought with it some rather unusual gourmet delights along with way '“ goat head soup with horns and for starters sliced boiled pigs ears.

'Everything tasted very good and the accommodation was wonderful. We never quite knew what was coming next but it was all amazing.'

The group returned to Bognor after a stay of just over a week '˜very adept at using chop sticks and drinking green tea' and with a memories to last a lifetime.