ORGANISERS of Tavistock?s annual balloon fiesta are already looking ahead to next year, after the huge success of this year?s extravaganza.

Tavistock Lions, Tavistock Round Table and Exeter-based Aerosaurus Balloons branded this year?s Westcountry Balloon Fiesta and Day at the Races the ?best ever?.

And the first meeting to discuss plans for next year has already taken place.

Steve Grummitt, of Tavistock Lions, hoped next year?s fiesta would be even bigger and better than this year, but said a lot depended on the weather.

?We have to start looking ahead early because there is so much to organise. We?re hoping for more teams than ever next year because all this year?s entries were so impressed and vowed to come back with other teams,? he said.

?We had our first overseas entry this year ? a team from Belgium ? and they were so impressed they said they are going to encourage other Belgian teams to come over next year,? said Steve.

?It would be nice to think next year will be even better than this year, but unfortunately we can?t control the weather ? and the whole event relies on that.?

Steve hoped there would be more on-site entertainment on offer next year to keep the crowds amused while waiting for the balloons to take off.

This year?s event, held at Crowndale over the bank holiday weekend, attracted a record-breaking 46 entries from teams. An estimated 12,000 people flocked to witness the colourful aerial spectacle.

?It was a fantastic weekend for everyone involved and we?re absolutely over the moon,? said Steve.

Ideal weather conditions meant transfixed crowds were able to watch an unprecedented 139 ascents over the three days, including some extremely rare ?box movements? in which balloons take off and land in the same place.

A further treat for the assembled masses on the Saturday night was a parachute jump by the Royal Signals Parachute Display Team.

Visitors on the Friday and Saturday evenings enjoyed a stunning ?night glow? in which a number of tethered balloons have their burners lit in time with classical music.

This gives the appearance of giant coloured lightbulbs being switched on and off.

This year, the Balloon Fiesta was switched from its usual venue at Tavistock College because of the drainage work being carried out on the playing fields.

Steve said the change of site for the show had not affected it?s success.

Arthur Street, operations manager of Aerosaurus Balloons, agreed that the Fiesta had been the most successful in its 11-year history.

?The crowd went at least 10-deep all the way along the site, and the balloonists and parachutists commented that there were far more people from outside the area there than ever before.?

He said every time a balloon landed on privately-owned land, the farmer or landowner was offered the chance to join the team for a flight later in the Fiesta.

?At least 15 farmers were given flights after balloons landed in their fields,? he said.

On Saturday there was a visit from the enormous Michelin Man, one of the largest balloons in the world. Standing 50 metres high, and with a fixed grin measuring 4 metres across. he cast an awesome shadow over the Crowndale fields.

In addition to the various ballooning spectacles, families were able to enjoy a host of other entertainment, including the ever popular Day at the Races pantomime horse racing, organised by Tavistock Round Table.

Steve Grummitt said the Fiesta would not have been possible without the co-operation of Tavistock Football Club, the Crowndale Recreational Association, landowner Dick Toop and farmer John Dawe.

Proceeds from this year?s event will mainly go to St Luke?s Hospice, with some being divided among local charities. The final total is still being counted.