The weather continues to be in our favour, the month of August is proving to be one of the best for a number of years. This evening was to be no exception. Although we had a wonderful evening the breeze was coming from the south west quite briskly, so we waited for the temperatures to cool and the wind to ease. Our passengers and their families were a very keen group of people, helping the crew prepare the balloon for launch.
We were airborne at 7.25 p.m. Ciming out to 2,000 we were travelling at 22 knots and heading out to Long Sutton. On thing that has marked this summer has been the clear and crisp evenings. With excellent visibility. We could clearly see across the wash and the cliffs at Hunstanton on the Norfolk coast. We had a very chatty bunch of passengers on board, and it is always a real pleasure to point out all of the local towns, villages and local history as the balloon trip continues. As sunset approaches the balloon descends and we find that the surface wind has dropped markedly, ideal for landing. Touch down is in the village of Thockenholt. This village was named after a hermit monk who lived there some centuries before. The road also runs along the old sea wall which was the last area of the Fens to be drained during the 18th century. The coast is now some ten miles further out the north east.