Up Up & Away

This was a belated birthday present from my wife, belated in the fact I was supposed to get it for my 40th Birthday but as I found out the surprise was lost so she did something else instead. Now that was like taking candy from a baby as I never really forgot and every so often would hint I really would love to go up in a balloon. Well on my last birthday (21 for the third time) I was surprised with a couple of tickets for a Balloon flight and the other day my wife & I took one over Oxfordshire.

We where the first there when the Balloon turned up

laid out along the grass

opened out

Then off came the basket

inflating the balloon

My wife was with this crew holding on to the rope

getting bigger

 the pilot making sure it inflates right

 getting bigger

flame on

up she goes

 Nearly ready

the Burners

The route and GPS following the flight

Next thing I know I'm looking down on Oxford, this is Christchurch.

The Radcliffe Camera goes past

Looking up through Oxford

Magdalene Collage

View looking off into the hills nearby 

The John Radcliffe Hospital or JR as it is known locally

This looks off towards Didcot where you can just make out the old powerstation

This bit is called the Headington Hamburger

Passing one of the Villages

over countryside

A village church

This place is called Brill on the Hill

A private school

The cows did not seem to care about us though

Most of us have a car out the front of our house, this guy has a plane

looks like a runway but its solar panels on the old runway

This is Waddaston Manor we are coming to

Finally we land and get out safely

And a goblet of Champers,

 Hope you enjoyed the flight