AN early morning ride can mean a mad dash to work by car or train but for pure escapism there is an alternative - a ride at sunrise in a hot air balloon.

I booked a flight with Out of This World, a company offering rides from Buxted Park near Fletching through its parent company Airborne.

We set off on Bank Holiday Monday at about 6.30am and drifted over a gentle mist that hung over the valley as the sun glowed pink on the horizon.

I never thought I would wax lyrical about the countryside after suffering the enamel corroding Romantics as part of my A-level poetry syllabus, but as our balloon sailed across the Weald I began to understand why Wordsworth had raved about a host of golden daffodils.

Spring was bursting everywhere as we looked down on a tapestry of green woodland; carpets of bluebells; hedgerows flaunting May blossom, and the occasional field of yellow rapeseed brightened by sunlight.

Reaching a gentle speed of 14 miles per hour and climbing to a maximum of 2, 600 feet, I didn't feel vulnerable in the wicker basket, I was too busy spotting deer feeding in a meadow and rabbits darting and bobbing in play as the occasional fox emerged from the shadows.

As we sailed over ancient meadow ponds we could see the balloon's colours reflected in the water, and birds swooping and soaring at eye-level, which reminded me of Vaughan Williams' 'The Lark Ascending' – the perfect accompaniment to such an idyllic pastoral scene.

Other than the roar of a Suzuki motorbike along an empty country lane, it was easy to imagine we were looking down on the countryside as it must have been many years ago. Traces of Medieval strip farming were still visible, and flocks of sheep bleated greetings to each other across the meadows.

We sailed dreamily on past church spires and pantiled cottages, spotting a few oast houses and early morning dog walkers.

Our pilot, a cheerful adventurer called Chris Aindow, who had crewed a millionaire's yacht before settling on ballooning, said: "I love doing this. What else would I want to do? It's dreamy, dreamy and so beautiful, so quiet and peaceful and you are never sure where you are going to end up."

We ended up on terra firma near Grove Hill after a nine mile trip lasting just over an hour.

Climbing out of the wicker basket onto a dewy meadow, I felt elated by the experience but sad that it was over. Fellow passenger Amanda Holland from Balcombe beamed: "That was something I've always wanted to do. It was a brilliant birthday treat and I want to fly again."

As we toasted our trip and Amanda's 40th birthday with inclusive post-flight champagne I agreed with her wholeheartedly. Thank you Out of This World for a dreamy, magical trip. It was reassuring to know that part of the Sussex countryside is free from the bulldozer.

Out of This World offers sunrise and sunset trips from Buxted Park. For more details call 0800 0430465 or go to: www.airborneballoons.co.uk/out_of_this_world_sussex.html

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