Mayor's appeal in line for a big lift

No, its not a load of hot air - a Basingstoke businessman wants local people to help the fight against cancer by sponsoring his company's participation in a national balloon competition.

Terry Thornhill of Toucan Travel, is one of the men behind this unusual attempt to raise money for CLIC - Cancer and Leukaemia in Childhood - the charity which is set to benefit from the borough mayor's appeal.

Terry has entered his Toucan hot air balloon in the Great British Long Jump - a competition to find out which balloon van make the longest distance flight in the UK throughout October

With the help of Hartley Wintney-based Adventure Balloon Company Ltd, he has been using the balloon as a promotional tool and has been taking people on flights for three years.

Terry is now inviting Gazette readers to guess how far the balloon will go and to sponsor per mile. The competition rules allow for flights to take place anywhere in the UK, and Terry hopes his balloon will fly between six and eight hours, covering a distance of between 100 and 200 miles. The balloon will be piloted by Winklebury man Kerry Coate-Bond.

Terry said: "Both Kim Hull of Adventure Balloons and I thought this competition would be a great way of raising money for a charity, and we chose CLIC because it is a very worthy cause".

Basingstoke's mayor, Cllr Rita Burgess, said: "I think this a really novel and exciting way to raise money for my charity. My thanks to Terry Thornhill for his kind offer which i hope will be a great success, both in the competition and for CLIC, my chosen charity."

Sponsorship forms can be picked up at all branches of Toucan Travel - Chineham, Tadley, Odiham, Hook, Hartley Wintney, Andover and Winchester - or form mayoral administrator Margaret Payne at the Civic Offices on London Road, Basingstoke.

And the good news for who-ever can most accurately guess the distance Terry's balloon travels is that he or she will win a balloon flight for two, courtesy of Adventure Balloons.