Jane Drummond, head of events for the festival, said that the plan went down well at their meetings, but they hadn't taken into account the fact that it was summer: "We wanted to do something different this year to really wow the crowd. Then someone came up with the idea of making planes out of ice. They would be able to fly over the bay, displaying all sorts of acrobatics."
"As a grand finale to the display, each pilot would gently chip away at his dashboard, before dropping an ice cube into the drink of a spectator on the ground. It really felt like a magnificent way to open the show. But it seems we didn't take into account the fact that it might be a bit warm."
One of the planes before take-off
We spoke to Dr Richard Ewings, Professor of Science at Southampton University, who told us that warm weather and ice wasn't always a good mix: "It often happens when ice meets warm air. It will go through a process known as melting, in which it transforms into water. You can see the same process happening by putting an ice cube in the oven."
The ice aeroplanes melted after a few minutes flying, by which time it the fleet of five had reached the town. The resultant water caused flooding, leaking drains and bad drivers to make journeys. Much of the water was concentrated in Bournemouth Gardens, where the pilots spent the rest of the afternoon having a swimming competition.
Local trader Louise Middleton, who works in Bournemouth town centre, told us "The water is coming up t-blrghlrhgrlrglrlllggurggglllleleebbrrrrugug"
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