OXFORDSHIRE school children saw their handiwork take to the skies with the release of a five-foot tall hot air balloon in April 1989.

Two classes of six-to-eight-year-olds at the William Fletcher School, Yarnton, spent weeks making the balloon out of multi-coloured tissue paper, and they stood by to watch their creation lift off.

The hand-built balloon made its maiden voyage in the school hall before attempts were later made to send it off into the open air.

The balloon building project was part of a class on the earth elements of fire, water and air studied under the supervision of teachers Margaret Allen and Kathy Tibbetts.

Head teacher Philip Gurney said at the time: "I am very pleased with the results.

"They have got a lot of interesting work out of it in understanding how the balloon works and the difficulties in putting the whole thing together."

Pictured are Melanie Silman, left, and Edward Stevens, right, both aged seven, holding the balloon.