CHANGEABLE wind conditions had kite-fliers on their toes at the weekend.

The 17th International Festival of Kites, Music and Dance saw about 30,000 visitors flock to the Northern Area Playing Fields in Washington.

They were attracted by an array of oddly-shaped and colourful kites, flown by experts from around the world.

But they had to grab their opportunity to display their creations in the skies over the festival site as the wind speed varied over the two days.

At its peak, there were up to 60 kites in the sky, including a giant penguin, an octopus, scuba divers, and others bearing the faces of well-known personalities.

City of Sunderland marketing officer Joanna Rowlands said yesterday: "It's been chopping and changing all weekend, really windy one minute, then dying down the next."

The festival is well established on the calendar of major summer events in the region.

"There's a lot been going on over the weekend, but we've still been able to attract 30,000 here over the two days," said Ms Rowlands. "We have plenty of people who want to try their hand flying their own kites alongside the experts."

A popular feature this year was the music and dance element, with local children joining professional groups, including street performers, on stage in the dance marquee.

"It's been really successful. There must have been 100 people up on their feet for a salsa dance class, and the floor was full for a tai-chi workshop," said Ms Rowlands.

The icing on the cake for the event was the arrival of the Queen's jubilee relay baton, carried on to the site by local girl, TV agony aunt Denise Robertson, at the end of a leg started at Sunderland's Stadium of Light by former athlete Steve Cram.