| Ever since the kite bug bit me, back in 1995, and I got hold of my first copy of Kiteflier, I have wondered at the inspiration behind the "odd odes" that appeared so regularly therein.
Well, over intervening years I have got to know Pat and Ron Dell quite a bit, and I am still not much wiser. All I learned is that they are two of the nicest people you could ever wish to meet. Generous in spirit, patient and forgiving, I hope I have learned a small amount of those qualities from their shining example. I think I may guess what lies behind those quirky verses, and that modest facade - I believe it is real love - not only for eachother, but also love of the joy of kiting, and love of sharing that joy. There are so many, many examples of how kites bring joy to our lives, and to the children who stumble, bemused and starry-eyed into this dazzling world of billowing colours and things that fly and float and make us smile so widely. There is not space nor time enough to write well of them here - if you fly kites, you know what I mean.
Sincere thanks also to Jon & Gill Bloom, for their kind permission to reproduce these verses from the Kiteflier. If you want to know more, just check out the Kiteability website, which I was delighted to write for them. Best wishes - Dicky Nourse |