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Wiltshire in Pictures: Balloon fun, toads and Austen

Kirsten RobertsonBBC Wiltshire
News imageLongleat A row of unique, colourful balloons in all sorts of shames, some animals, lined up behind a wall of fire bursting up. There are large crowds of people in front who disappear into darkness.Longleat
Thousands of people descended onto the Longleat estate to see various spectacles, including a night glow

An alien, Wednesday Addams and the Michelin Man were among the unlikely visitors to Wiltshire this weekend.

The Icons of the Sky festival has taken over Longleat with a variety of airborne attractions due to take flight.

Thousands of people visited the estate to see the night glow, after poor weather stopped the mass ascents. Organisers are hopeful the hot air balloons will be in the air on Sunday morning.

Visitors also saw RAF Falcons - the world's premier military parachute display team - and a Spitfire.

News imageLongleat Fireworks are being let off in the nightsky, with trees and campervans in view at LongleatLongleat
Thousands of people descended onto Longleat over Saturday and Sunday to see displays
News imageLongleat Two planes flying in-sync with one another. They have 2025 illuminated under their winds with a love heart. Longleat
Visitors saw displays from popular planes
News imageLongleat Two green alien balloons, both with two black eyes, soar on the backdrop of a blue sky with a brown basket below.Longleat
Astro the Alien is due to touch down at Longleat this weekend

Elsewhere, people in Swindon have travelled back in time and, in Westbury, the county's oldest White Horse has been the talk of the town.

News imageSwindon Borough Council Two women in 30s style attire holding a teapot and a bucket while smiling at the camera, in the background are old-fashioned items such as World War 2 posters and a candle.Swindon Borough Council
The two-day festival featured a tea-dance, performances and storytelling

Old time fun: Railway enthusiasts and history buffs have brought their dancing shoes to Swindon's STEAM Museum this weekend for a festival full of nostalgic fun.

The museum has held its Golden Age Festival, a celebration of the style, music, and spirit of the 1930s, 40s, and 50s.

News imageThe Westbury White Horse, a white chalk figure on the hillside, with a red ribbon on top to create an English flag.
The White Horse was altered on Tuesday morning

Flag furore: At the Westbury White Horse, an unknown person added red fabric to the landmark on Tuesday morning to turn it into a St George's flag.

English Heritage said it would assess whether the 175ft (53m) tall landmark had been damaged by pegs used to secure the fabric.

The Westbury White Horse is said to be the oldest in Wiltshire. It was restored in 1778, but many believe it is much older than that.

News imageSouth West Chef of the Year Vita in a kitchen setting wearing a black and white apron, white shirt and working with beetroot and a bowl South West Chef of the Year
Vita cooked Smoked Brown Trout and Ricotta, ravioli with beetroot, watercress and tarragon sauce

Cooking up a storm: A group of Wiltshire-based chefs have secured their places in the semi-finals of the prestigious South West Chef of the Year Competition.

The event was established by renowned chef Michael Caines MBE.

Those who will compete in the semi-finals at Exeter College on 27 September include James Boniface of The Castle Inn, Castle Combe; Charlie Cutting of The Manor House Hotel, Castle Combe; Gabriel Pugh of Bishopstrow Hotel, Warminster; and Vita Angelinetta of Sheldon School, Chippenham.

News imageNational Trust A hand holding a disposable photo of Jane Austen in the 2005 Pride and Prejudice with a forest and lake behind her.National Trust
Stourhead, the Palladian-style estate in Wiltshire, served as a filming location for the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice
News imageNational Trust A man's suit and a brown dress from the 2005 film Pride and Prejudice on display in a room with period furniture.National Trust
Several costumes from the film are on display at the National Trust property

Anniversary attire: It's been exactly 20 years since the release of Joe Wright's Oscar-nominated Pride and Prejudice.

The 2005 adaptation of Jane Austen's novel, starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen, was filmed at two locations at Stourhead – the Palladian Bridge and the Temple of Apollo.

Visitors to the National Trust site have now been invited to explore the setting of the famous first proposal scene, and to see costumes from the film on display in Stourhead house.

News imageWarminster Toad Patrol Dexter wearing a headtorch and looking at a tiny toad on a blue cloth.Warminster Toad Patrol
Dexter is doing all he can to ensure the amphibians "survive and thrive"

Toadally awesome: A young wildlife enthusiast has urged drivers to avoid a road being crossed by young toads to prevent them being killed.

Dexter, 14, of Warminster Toad Patrol, said there had recently been about 250 baby toads found dead on Smallbrook Road and Lower Marsh Road.

He said: "The number of deaths we've seen this past week has made me really sad. It's especially hard when it's the tiddlers and you know they were only just starting their journey."

News imageBBC Weather Watchers A lake surrounded by trees which are mostly green, although some are starting to turn yellow and orange.BBC Weather Watchers
BBC Weather Watchers / Lizzy

Autumn arrives: Lizzy snapped this picture on a cooler day in Swindon this week.

It captures the gradual change in the colour of leaves on the trees as we continue through autumn.

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