November has seen sales continue at a fair pace, with a complete 105 selling in the UK, a 120 envelope leaving the UK for mainland Europe whilst we hear that the “Speedy Snail” has made its trail from these pages after several years ….
Zebedee has sold several baskets during the month, moved on the collection of ‘parted out’ burners from the list, several increasingly old fans and other smaller items.
New for December is a complete Ultramagic 77 Racer from Chris Duppa-Miller – note it is phone calls only for this one, a lovely LBL 90-105 basket and an 8hp fan. From Zebedee comes tanks, more smaller items in “Other” and a re-hash of our tether rope stock with individual pictures including several not advertised previously.
The next UK Meet is the Icicle Refrozen Meet at Donnington Grove Hotel, Newbury on 4th/5th January 2020, with Saturday after dinner speaker Brian Jones, our round-the-world supremo. Bookings for balloon entries, dinners or exhibition space can be done on the website at www.icicle-refrozen.com Zebedee will see you there!
Sad news to reach us this week is the death of Jim Hayden, the jovial “video man” from Sutton Courtenay, Oxon, always around the launch field at the big meets including Icicle, Bristol – and especially Chateau d’Oex. Jim quickly appreciated the photographic quality of the clear air in the Alps and had been to this Swiss alpine meet every year for longer than most of us can remember – and when I last saw him was making plans for 2020. Amazingly Jim was 84 years old! He leaves an historic record of our sport spanning many years.
Finally, as always we wish our readers the very best for a Merry Christmas – and hope in 2020 these pages will alert you to that very special balloon or related item which you have been chasing for years!