It's time for an update from Orpin Towers my friends. I'm writing today on my iPad because my laptop is having it's time of the month and requires some re-booting tlc so it's quite possible that there will be more spelling mistakes in this blog than normal because of auto-correct so apologies in advance for that. Now, the last two weeks has seen a ridge of high pressure across the UK, and that has been good news for balloonists. Taking advantage of the weather, many people have been out and about and flying. The passenger rides balloons have been taking passengers up on that trip of a lifetime, big commercial sponsors have been taking the opportunity to promote their brands through their balloon, and several new balloons have had their first flights in these advantageous weather conditions. The second Thornbury Balloon Meet did take place on the 4-6 April, but unfortunately conditions weren't as favourable this time around, and a spectacular Night Glow on the Friday evening proved to be the ballooning highlight of the weekend. Fingers crossed this event will be back again next year and we will be blessed with some better flying conditions. As some of you will know, the London Marathon took place last weekend. As some of you will not know, the London Marathon provides a wonderful opportunity for commercial sponsors to display their balloons. Every year, around 10 balloons tether to the ground of Blackheath Common, right next to the Marathon start-line. The press and media coverage this generates is simply awesome. If you're reading this and consider yourself to be a Lehman in the balloon world, you might not be aware of the power of advertising available through a hot air balloon. To put it simply, having a huge inflatable banner for your company twice the size of your house (unless you live in a bungalow, or a block of flats, or a fort or whatever) and then putting it slap bang next to one of the biggest sporting and media events of the year is going to turn a few heads. Personally I feel sorry for the runners. There they are attempting to psyche themselves up for what quite possibly could be the biggest physical challenge of their lives, and they get to the start line and find themselves greeted by these huge balloons and a massive distraction. But anyway, it's fantastic advertising for balloons so I'm not going to criticise! If you watched coverage of the Marathon, it would have been impossible for you to miss the huge balloons at the start-line, that included the giant red special shape cube for Ricoh, who use the balloon to promote their Imagine Change campaign. Hot air balloons are huge advertising bill boards that can fly, and I'll be writing plenty more on this in the coming weeks, hopefully with a functioning laptop again! As it's Easter, you will have spotted that I've posted two photos today of two particularly Easter-themed Special Shapes. Special Shapes are incredible hot air balloons that take the advertising platform to a whole new level, and I'll be writing more about them shortly. One of these Easter balloons remains one of my favourite balloons of all time - the wonderful Cadbury's Caramel Bunny. As a small child I was delighted by the sight of the lovely Miss Caramel, and until I was about 10 I used to call my Gran every April 1st and try to convince her, whilst laughing hysterically, that the Caramel Bunny had landed in our dingy little 5 metre back garden we owned at the time. A comical genius from an early age, as you can tell. One final thought for now - I'm delighted to announce that I've had an article published in Aerostat, the official journal (magazine really) of the British Balloon and Airship Club. This is awfully exciting news, you just can't escape me anywhere these days you looking people you!
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