I am very glad to report the arrangements for the approaching BBM&L Inflation Day on Saturday 25th April 2026 are on schedule and ready for the big day! With thanks to our host David Hopkins and sponsors LAAS International! Please remember this is a ‘grass roots’ balloon event is held on an old golf course and has limited facilities (porta-loos will be available) and people with limited mobility could have difficulty getting around as the surface is uneven!
Visiting balloon registration so far stands at over 25 entries, plus the 18 balloons selected to come out from the Museum collection (you may have seen the registrations on our social media outlets) One of our biggest supporters from Europe for ID’s, Christoff Deyaert bringing three balloons from Belgium so it will be nice to have Christoff and crew back again – I remember the first time I met Christoff at the 2006 event I organised at Kelmarsh – he had ‘stuffed’ a balloon into a Citroen 2cv (I think it was) and travelled across from Europe – cannot ask for much more support than that, and he and his crew have been coming ever since!
Remember bringing a full balloon will entitle two free entries, so don’t forget to submit a form (available from the BBM&L website) in advance, and remember to bring a copy for production on the gate for your free entry – and if having an appropriate balloon artwork linked with ‘beverages’ our chosen theme for the event will add to the fun of the event! All balloons are welcome however!
We are really excited to welcome balloonists from all over the UK and Europe to The Manor, Pidley (near Huntingdon PE28 3DD), for what we hope will be a really memorable day of ballooning.
The event will follow the format of previous events, all subject to weather of course, with provisional timings of:
07:30 Catering available and serving food & drinks!
08:00 Briefing
08:30 Inflations begin!
All day – Balloons are inflated by numerous teams during the day with their own timings!
Late Afternoon – Prize Giving will take place at a time to be announced!
Prize categories will be decided by the BBM&L Council and available to balloons having an CAA registration date of 25th April 2015 and registered for the event!
Location map
Additional Information
Entry fee is £10. Pilots bringing balloon, plus bottom end, eligible for 2 free entry tickets; balloon only, gives 1 free entry ticket. Children (16 and under) have free entry but must be supervised in the arena at all times.
The BBM&L Display van will be the focal point for briefing/prize giving and BBM&L Website Project Lead Angela Lickorish, will be available for memberships, event pins (£5), tombola and anything sellable – don’t leave her talking to herself!
The local Rolls Royce Club will be attending, displaying their precious and historic vehicles!
Look forward to seeing many of you on the 25th April 2026.
Tim Turner
Inflation Day Co-Ordinator