A balloon race helped a school fete go out with a bang on Saturday (July 9).

About 150 helium-filled balloons were released into the skies by children at the end of the event at Grasmere Primary School – and it is hoped they will fly as far afield as Europe.

Each balloon had a card attached, containing a child’s name, the school’s address, and a request to return the balloon with details of where it was found.

“In previous years they’ve gone as far as Germany and Belgium,” head teacher Mark Derrington said. “Depending on the winds you can get really far across the Channel. The people who find them often send postcards and photographs back.

“The children like to track their progress on a map, so it is a learning exercise too.”

Other attractions at the fete in Albion Road, which was attended by about 400 people, included panning for gold – where children could sift through gravel to find fake gold nuggets – face painting, an open-mike talent show, a soak-the-teacher game, and cake stalls.