A WOMAN once nicknamed the kite flying granny will be offering her kites for a good cause at this weekend’s Weymouth Kite Festival.

Eve Hanney, 81, of Weymouth, is looking to raise money for the local branch of the Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research group. Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research is an established cancer charity which has since been renamed Bloodwise.

In total, Eve will be giving away more than 30 of her kites this weekend, which can be bid for as part of a silent auction.

The auction will take place on Sunday and bids can be made at the First Choice double-decker bus on the Esplanade, where organisers will be based. Winners will be revealed on Sunday evening.

Eve has flown kites all over the world, visiting countries such as France, Belgium, New Zealand and China. 

Her interest in kite flying developed after she and her husband retired.

She said: “We were looking for something to do and it was free. We started off with a couple of kites and then it just grew from that. 

“We started going to festivals and joining in with everybody else.”

Eve has visited China on 16 occasions to fly kites, competing in various competitions, including the Weifang Kite Festival.

She said: “It’s huge. It’s like the Olympics but nobody knows of it outside China.”

Eve has represented the UK at the competition and has picked up a number of trophies.

Having initially taken up kite-flying as a hobby, Eve said she ‘never even gave it a thought’ that she would be travelling the world as a result.

She said: “My dream was always to go to China. This has happened because of it. When I went the first time, I left my husband at home and he thought I’d never come back.” 

Eve said she hoped the Weymouth Kite Festival will be a success.

She said: “It’s always been enjoyable and the people who go there enjoy it. It’s a real family day out. You can take all ages. All ages can fly kites. Age is no barrier.”

The kite festival takes place on the beach tomorrow, Sunday and Monday between 10am and 5pm.