The Old Candle Factory

Phoebe in her new car...speakers rockin' !

Here's a little video of how we are called to the lunch table in Botswana.

It's 20 years ago since I flew over The Eiger for this commercial. I still suffer from a painful coccyx on long haul plane flights after crashing the balloon on a glacier. It will all be described in my book under the chapter entitled 'The Nine Times Table.' I think I've got a picture somewhere... shall I dig it out??????

Newspaper story. I've been catching up on the news since I've been back.... And also finding odd bits of video captured during those few moments when Will wasn't pointing his camera my way!! And a couple of pics from Namibia. The Morris 8 is in a place called Solitaire wich sells petrol and biltong. The hammock is in a lodge which I'll look up and tell you the name next time :-)

In between sessions of recording everything on Frank's stills camera, Ashers also showed remarkable taste in what she concentrated on.Here we see her struggling with the choice - wild cheetah? or this handsome hunk from down under who can drive his truck through anything. She got up close and personal with a Lion later though.....

NB. It is now much easier ( and very much encouraged!) to leave comments :-) I just popped into Tiger Aspect's Soho offices and saw some edited highlights of the film. Wonderful! So I've put another video up ( above) to keep the whole adventure alive. It's of 3 lovely Rasta guys in Swakhopmund who sold crafts to tourists. They wooed us in by playing the traditional instrument whose name I have forgotten. Perhaps someone will remind me please???? Above we see an interlude where Adam and Sam changed a wheel after one went POP. It was raining, and a local took pity on Jess and shared his umbrella. Or did he sneak beneath Jess's brolly which she already had about her person? I cannot remember - but it was enjoyable nevertheless. Look how busy Sam is and how diligent Adam is beneath the truck. How the dickens do I revolve this sweet video 90 degrees anticlockwise? I learned that in each country, the local folk who inhabit the side of the road each had their own view about ...

While I was starting out on the Great African balloon Adventure, this was happening in Liverpool St Station, unbeknownst to all the commuters, but beautifully prepared by the dancers.....

All the countries visited in this Great African Balloon Adventure were firsts for me. Most of my African ballooning has been done in Kenya - at a traditional tented safari camp called Governors' Camp A selection of pictures taken there can be found HERE . I have a fund of precious memories from my years spent at Governors' and I long to return. But as I recall the events of the last 6 weeks travelling across Africa from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean I feel immensely privileged to have been part of this fabulous adventure and to have rubbed shoulders with some extraordinary people. How all the footage can be compressed into 3 episodes is beyond me - I take my hat off to the skills of the editing profession. But I sense that Will and Woody have editors' hats on as well as camaraman hats. And if that is true, then heaven knows how many hats are perched on Frank's head. I am about to join a young lady for dinner and should be preparing for that rather than waxing l...

Mile after mile of empty Namibian roads were eaten up by the trusty Iveco to the sound of Johnny B Good by Chuck Berry. The combination of Adam at the wheel AND the iPOD was perfect and we celebrated upon arriving at the Atlantic Ocean at sunset. And the next day we went shopping......

While I am processing pictures taken somewhere between Dar es Salaam and the Atlantic Ocean, I have posted an image of proof that I showed fearless courage whilst close to wild animals right from an early age. I am 3rd from left and relying on protection from my brother and sisters, but that smile says it all. I was obviously happy to risk a severe licking from a baby lamb to explore the local wild life.

I am back in Blighty on a foggy sunday morning after a 10 hour flight in a Virgin plane called 'Tinker Bell'. I like the way the planes all have names - a bit like Eddie Stobbart's trucks . The air hostesses were fascinated to learn I had taught their boss to fly a balloon. They kept my wine glass topped up during dinner :-) Huge thanks to the lovely Diana for collecting me and delivering me home - and bringing some fresh milk for my empty fridge xx And thanks to the 3 armed Police who created such a drama as they boarded the plane at Heathrow and told us all to remain seated as they made their way to a person who...er...could possibly help them with their enquiries? Imagine my surprise when they carted of a bemused gentleman who looked for all the world like Sam, our innocent law-abiding logistics/transport expert. Surely it couldn't have been him......could it?? Anyway - once the poor fellow was in their custody we were allowed off the plane to make our way home.

A wonderful Jo'burg thunderstorm is pouring soft rain on the road to the airport. I am flying home on Virgin Airways with a suitcase full of stories and pictures ready to share with YOU. Mike and Jeanette picked me up in their Rolls Royce yesterday and drove straight to a wonderful restaurant which had kept a parking space for us right outside. Once Jeanette had parked the Silver Spirit neatly we emerged from this grand old Lady to applause from both sides of the street as the open air diners showed their admiration of Jeanette's fine arrival in such style. I last drove this car in UK when this adventurous couple drove from Cape Town to London!! Click HERE. Enormous thanks for all your hospitality - very welcome and appreciated as I climb down from my 6 week 'High' and make my way home.

We shall all enjoy looking at each other's photos once we're back in Blighty. Here's a taster from Adam's camera taken at Africa House on a LOOOOOONG tether before releasing the rope and flying free. Another shot from Adam's camera of us inside the balloon before inflating and flying.

Time to head home now. The balloon's packed and will be shipped soon. Very much a feeling of 'end of term' as everyone tries to remember everything they should. It will be a strange feeling coming home to a big pile of mail - but also a broadband connection so I shall post more pictures and stories. Watch this space!!!!! Tourist!

3 glorious flights in Namibia...one at 30kts! Back in Windhoek now absolutely exhausted. More tomorrow..... Landed in a tree this morning - hilarious!! Here's a couple of images of the balloon taken by the lads. The trouble with being in it all the time, I never get a chance to take a picture of it! The 2nd flight over Namibia was the best of the lot. 30knots at 6,000 feet and the film taken from the plane was spectacular. I cannot wait until september - the transmission date. This shot is taken after the night inflation. Goodness know what the nearby Zebra and Oryx thought of the great big light in the sky.

s just We've wrecked the rear diff on our trusty Iveco. The noise was terrifying - and it was a fascinating exercise in progressively identifying sounds and symptoms. Put the clutch in - rear wheels lock up. Is that graunching sound coming from the gearbox? the transfer box? or travelling along the propshaft from the rear differential? Once we'd agreed it was the last we turned back to the nearest town (UIS) and got here by engaging front wheel drive which worked well provided we ignored the painful grinding of teeth in the back axle. The palava getting beds in one place, dinner in another in UIS would have been comical were it not for difficulty in keeping our eyes open. Yesterday morning Adam detached the propshaft - thus isolating the offending axle and she behaved beautifully all the way to ..... wherever we are now. So we are now safely at our final destination and jolly luxurious it is too!! The owner has just taken us on a recce of the area for our final balloon flights ...

Frank is our director, and a jolly good job he's doing! It's a gruelling task keeping control of the schedule with so many things that scupper his plans - not the least of which is the weather! We see him here preparing for a landing amongst a herd of Buffalo and you can see his calm demeanor reassuring his fellow balloon passengers that all will be well. Standing beside Frank is Becca from the production team looking positively excited at the prospect at landing amongst Buffalo - thus demonstrating her skill at not being phased by occasional dramas and generally spreading good cheer all around and keeping control of the rest of us. Will is usually seen with a video camera bolted to his shoulder, but is seen here singing 'Jailhouse Rock' into his air microphone whilst Becca is reassuring him that the this new covered basket with seats will protect him from Buffalo on all future balloon landings. The air mike is made from sugar cane and is simply delicious, and simil...

We have at last arrived at the Atlantic Ocean after a not uneventful drive from Windhoek! And since we arrived at sunset Adam drove straight to the TUG bar on the beach and ordered drinks. The town is Swakopmund and offers further architectural surprises, and a simply magnificent opportunity to clean up, listen to the Atlantic breakers and ponder over why the brakes failed in the middle of a dramatic bit of rocky terrain where the road meandered alarmingly. After watching the brake fluid slowly emerge from the reservoir with the engine running, and then retreat when the engine was switched off, we applied our minds to the brake servo. That didn't get us anywhere, so we closed the bonnet, and set off gingerly only to feel the brakes reappear shortly afterwards. The other episode which livened up our departure from Windhoek was when we stopped for diesel on the outskirts of town. Adam monitored the man pouring in the precious fluid and Jess went off to buy supplies in the servi...

Here's a shot from the first landing...right at the beginning of this great adventure! It has been suggested I introduce you to the crew, so I shall try and assemble mug shots of the ace crew and add descriptions. (Bribes in plain envelopes will protect you from the worst embarrassments). Windhoek has made enormous progress since getting independence 18 years ago. My first impressions yesterday have been happily updated this morning. After lunch, we head off south west whilst considering news that the weather in our destination has been wet and windy for the last week, and the river Tschauchab is running so nobody can cross. Out with the maps!! Our fixer, Martin, has been a great help and runs a very successful business. His website is HERE .

We've arrived in Windhoek, Namibia with all its security and astonishing architecture! So I very much look forward to heading out into the desert. The above picture is borrowed from Erik's website - he flies passenger balloons in Namibia. See HERE. There's a thunderstorm raging outside so I shall keep a close eye on the weather as we near the flying dates. As usual - promises of more pictures as I find decent access to cyberspace.

A hasty greeting using up my last computer time with a mish mash of images from recent adventures in Botswana and Zambia. Tomorrow we depart from 2 days driving to Namibia where I look forward to some fantastic flights. Yesterday I thought I was dreaming when late afternoon I heard the familiar sound of leather on willow and sure enough, here in Botswana Okavango swamps, an impromptu game of cricket was being played the other side of the river from our Crocodile Camp by the neighbouring folk. Perhaps those who operate the Sir Osis of the River? And I've just had a call from MIke and Jeanette from Jo'burg who drove their Rolls Royce from Cape Town to UK last summer ( see HERE! ) and I shall meet up with them after this great adventure is finally over. Whoopee! I can see an evening of taller and taller stories being exchanged!!!!!! Bon Voyage to Mum and Lindy who are setting out in Lin's Volvo Amazon for deepest France to stay with Nick Sarah Emma and Vita.... I wish I could ...