York's second Festival Of Food and Drink got off to a damp launch on a wet and windy Knavesmire today, but organisers were predicting a bright future for the festival, which will be held in York from September 19-27.

Plans to send a team of chefs into the sky in a hot air balloon were abandoned as lashing rain swept across Knavesmire, but festival organisers remained enthusiastic.

Top York chef Michael Hjort, who is food advisor to the festival committee, said, "The 1997 festival was a success but we made some mistakes.

" We've learnt from them and this year will be even better."

And Tony Bennett, assistant director of economic development with the City of York Council, which is helping co-ordinating the festival, said, "Things are coming together nicely for this year and we are already thinking of our 1999 festival."

This year Parliament Street will be the focus of the festival, which iagain is sponsored by Nestl. The extremely-popular World Street Caf, run by students of York College of Further and Higher Education, will return.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.