Wine bottles safely stowed in their baskets to act as peace offerings to the landowner of a field into which they might descend, dozens of balloons took to the skies above Bristol early yesterday morning.

With the Balloon Fiesta starting tomorrow, their launch site of Greville Smyth Park was chosen for the specific reason that press photographers could get the money shot of the balloons with the Suspension Bridge in the background – something not always possible from Ashton Court.

After a signal from the radio, we were off. Bristol soon became more like a model village than a city as we serenely glided over Bedminster, Knowle and Stockwell, the wind taking us in the direction of Keynsham.

The pilot of the balloon I had been allocated was Chris Hathaway, who also happens to be chairman of the Balloon Fiesta organising committee. Circumspect and matter of fact, but with a ready smile or anecdote about his 13 years of flying, he was one of those people known as the gentlemen of the skies.

In the basket there was utter silence, apart from the chatter of fellow passengers and the roar of the burner when Chris wanted us to gain some altitude.

Below, Bristol in miniature offered up the curious revelation of every other house on some streets having a trampoline in the back garden; and unusual sights such as runners atop of the Airpoint building on West Street, a stone’s throw away from the Cameron Balloons factory.

That it was peaceful and serene in the balloon does not do justice to the sense of tranquillity when flying like this. Only occasionally was the spell broken by a dog barking or door slamming far down below.

My ears popped at about 1000 feet, after which we began our descent, landing gently in a field and then helping to pack the canopy away like a giant sleeping bag.

It was then time to give the bottle of wine to a thankfully understanding farmer, before returning to Bedminster, navigating our way back on petrol and roads rather than hot air and winds.