Back row - left to right. Celia Kunert - Friends Administrator Secretary. John Baker - Archivist. Jeff Roberts - Vice Chairman. Pete Bish - Council Member. John Crawford - Treasurer. Angela Lickorish - Council Member. Dr. Giles Camplin - Council Member. Jennifer d'Alton - Public Relations / Press Liaison and Trailrope Editor.
Front Row - left to right. Tim Turner - Secretary. Richard d’Alton - Chairman. Robin Batchelor - President.

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President
Robin Batchelor
President of BBM&L, Webmaster. Robin has 40 years’ experience as a professional balloon pilot, logging 4,000 hours and flying in 30 different countries.Originally employed as a computer systems programmer, Robin left when he discovered balloons and spent 3 years building them at Thunder Balloons.
After gaining his licence, he joined forces with Colin Prescot to set up The Hot Air Balloon Company, where they gained contracts to operate advertising balloons world-wide. Whilst operating balloons for Virgin Airlines, Robin taught Richard Branson to fly a balloon.
With experience came work in feature films and TV commercials where Robin flew balloons doubling for stars such as Ryan O’Neal, Alain Delon, Robert Vaughan and Pierce Brosnan.
Competitive by nature, Robin entered the British National Championships where his best results were 2nd and 3rd. After countless short flights from agricultural shows, Robin organised a competition for all the show pilots to see who could fly the furthest and so ‘The Great British Long Jump’ was born, a popular event repeated every October since.
During winter months Robin flew balloons over the Maasai Mara game reserve in Kenya – some of the best flying of his life, second only to flying across the Alps from Switzerland to Italy at 20,000ft. Four flights across the English Channel are also among his most memorable adventures.
Email: president@bbml.org.uk -
Vice Presidents
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Peter Sadler
Nigel Tasker
David Hopkins
David Bareford -
Chairman
Richard d’Alton BA(Hons)
Chairman of Trustees. Richard was a Graphic Designer and Production Director for an International Print and Publishing company. Richard became a balloon pilot in 1987. Having his own balloon, he flew in many different countries and only ceased flying when he was struck with sudden sight loss in 2019.As Chairman since 2007, he is responsible for leading the Board of Trustees, focusing it on strategic matters, overseeing the Museum's business and setting high governance standards. He plays a pivotal role in fostering the effectiveness of the Board of Trustees and individual Trustees, both inside and outside the board room.
Email: chairman@bbml.org.uk -
Vice Chairman
Jeff Roberts
Vice Chairman of Trustees. Jeff has been involved in ballooning since 1979 and worked in banking before retirement. He was a balloon pilot and although his licence has now lapsed, he still owns an airworthy 1979 Thunder Bolt. He has a particular interest in modern ballooning history with an extensive knowledge regarding British balloon mail.
Email: vicechairman@bbml.org.uk -
Secretary
Tim Turner
Trustee, Company Secretary. Following his keen interest in ballooning and involvement with crewing since 1973, Tim joined the BBM&L as Press Officer in 1994, moving to the responsibility of Company Secretary in 1998. Tim is the category holder for the Museum's photographs plus official documents and has organised the Museum Inflation Days since 2002.
Email: secretary@bbml.org.uk -
Treasurer
John Crawford
Trustee, Treasurer. Now a semi-retired balloon pilot, John was checked out for his pilot's licence by Don Cameron in 1988. In post since 2011, John is responsible for the day-to-day running of the Museum’s bank accounts, a task that includes reclaiming Gift Aid on 'Friends' subscriptions. He compiles detailed spreadsheets throughout the year of the Museum’s income and expenditure, in order that the Statutory Financial Statements can be drawn up at the end of each financial year.
Email: treasurer@bbml.org.uk -
Friends Administrator Secretary
Celia Kunert
Trustee, Membership Secretary. Celia has been involved with ballooning since the early 1970’s and obtained a pilot licence in 1981. As a member of the Dante Balloon Group and Co Director of Zebedee Balloon Service Ltd., she has a wealth of knowledge and experience in ballooning. Celia was Membership Secretary for the British Balloon and Airship Club (BBAC) for a period in the 1970s. She has been a member of the BBM&L since 1980 and took on the role of Membership Secretary in 2013, when she became a Trustee.
Email: friends@bbml.org.uk -
Archivist
John Baker
Trustee, Archivist. Became interested in balloons in 1969 and was a Founder Member of the BBM&L in 1979. John is Archivist for both the BBM&L and the BBAC. John has co-written two ballooning books and gives talks on ballooning to schools. He has an extensive library of lighter-than-air books. As Archivist, he is the first point of contact for historical questions and has a wealth of knowledge and detailed information of many artefacts in the BBM&L our collection.
Email: archives@bbml.org.uk -
Public Relations & Press Liaison
Jennifer d’Alton BA
Trustee, Public Relations and Press Liaison. Jennifer has been a member of the BBM&L for almost forty years. She has worked as a global researcher and global database manager for two large international companies. Worked as a journalist, art critic, and has travelled to many countries.
Her first hot air balloon flight was in 1970, but she has held various roles within the BBAC from before that time. She has been a Trustee of the BBM&L since 1991 and edited Trailrope, the quarterly journal of the BBM&L, until November 2024, distributing it to the Museum Friends all over the world.
Jennifer has also organised the BBM&L AGM and Annual BBM&L Luncheon for many years. All enquiries that arrive electronically to the BBM&L, Jennifer acknowledges and disseminates to the relevant people/person.
- Email: pr@bbml.org.uk
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Trailrope Editor
Richard Cardy
Keen collector of historic balloon paraphernalia.
Email: trailrope@bbml.org.uk -
Project Leader
Angela Lickorish FCA
Trustee, Accountant, Chair Project Sub-Committee. A balloon enthusiast. Angela uses her skills developed over 30 years working as a professional accountant, to manage the website re-design project and to help the Treasurer produce the accounts.
Email: projects@bbml.org.uk -
Council Members
Peter Bish
Trustee. Peter was a Founder Member of the BBM&L in 1979 and a past Chairman. Peter’s first balloon flight was in 1971 and he gained his Private Pilot’s Licence in 1973, which has been continuously valid to date. Peter was co-author of ‘British Balloons’ in 1981, with John Baker, and is Co-director of Zebedee Balloon Service Ltd.Martyn Turner
Trustee. Martyn began attending balloon meetings from the age of 8 (including the 1st Hot Air Airship World Championships held in Luxembourg), crewed for the Dante Balloon Team from the age of 11, and became a balloon pilot in 2004. He joined the BBM&L Council in 2009 and is passionate about preserving the history of modern hot air ballooning by inflating some of the envelopes that are held in the BBM&L Collection. He has been involved in restoring many envelopes back to the skies over the years (most recently G-MUSM) and co-ordinates the organisation of the balloons at public and private events, along with promoting and preparing the Museum's Biennial Inflation Day.Dr. Giles Camplin
Trustee, airship specialist. Giles began his ballooning career in 1966 when he flew in and became ground crew for the gas-balloon Jambo owned by Anthony Smith, founder of the BBAC. Giles attended the inaugural meeting of the BBAC and is member number 24. He gained his commercial balloon pilot's licence in 1989.
Giles helped Malcolm Brighton build the first British-built modern hot air balloon 'Bristol Belle' in 1967. Giles built and flew in the airship for the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. He has been part of the ground crew for many flights including for the gas balloon in John Lennon's film Apotheosis and for Alan Root's hot air balloon crossing of Mount Kilimanjaro.He assisted Julian Nott with design and construction of his 'pumpkin' super-pressure balloon for the Endeavour Project in 1984 and was Launch Master for Richard Branson's first Global Balloon Circumnavigation attempt in 1996.
He was head-hunted by the German Cargolifter Company in 1998 and tasked with establishing the ground-handling procedures for their intended gigantic cargo-carrying-airship. Giles' research into airship history led him to gain a PhD in Engineering History in 2007. He is a Council Member of the Airship Association and Editor of Dirigible, the Airship Heritage Trust Journal.