A couple of months back I posted the following as an adjunct to a different thread.
> Well just to say that we are booked already for an outing the weekend > of the Blue Lias xmas party. We bid big money for what turned out to > be some dodgy tickets for a balloon trip at a mayoral charity event > over 2 years ago. Despite 15 alleged bookings which turned into > cancellations we are yet to even see a balloon, never mind go aloft in > the darned thing. > > First attempt of 2007 is Saturday 31st March The 31st March flight was duly cancelled due to the weather, but then the conditions and our luck changed. Our 16th booking was today, and we gathered at The Larmer Tree gardens near Shaftesbury, shortly before 06:30am. After helping with the rigging we lifted off at 07:20 for a most pleasant 15 nautical mile flight lasting 55 minutes to the edge of the Longleat estate. Great experience, great Dorset & Wiltshire scenery and a very convivial bunch of people. Worth the wait. Just to remind folks these tickets were acquired through the auction at Evesham Mayor's ball in Dec 2004. My doubts that the balloon existed were unfounded. There were 2 there today. It seems that 2005/2006 have both been extremely poor in ballooning terms but 2007 has been much better with the recent good weather. One of the pilots told me he had done more flights so far this year than he had in 2006 by the end of June. Beeky nb Nuff Said
