A RESIDENT of Salzgitter in Germany was presented with a special thank-you bottle of bubbly recently, by a Tavistock woman whose long-held wish to fly came true.
Maureen Toland of Kingfisher Cottage took her first flight in a hot air balloon at last year?s balloon fiesta ? the prize for winning a helium balloon race at the fiesta the previous year.
Her balloon eventually ended up in Germany, where it was found by Ingo Beckmerhagen of Salzgitter. He phoned Maureen to say he had her balloon tag ? she initially thought someone was playing a joke on her, knowing how desperate she was to fly!
?He duly returned the tag to which my balloon was attached, proving how far it had travelled, and I eventually received my long awaited balloon ride,? said Maureen, who said the experience was ?fantastic!?.
?We corresponded after and as he was coming over to a wedding at Whitsands, we arranged to meet so I could present him with his prize of a bottle of champagne, on behalf of Tavistock Lions, for finding and returning my tag.
?I am very grateful to him and the Lions for enabling me to achieve one of my greatest ambitions ? it was wonderful!? said Maureen, who reckoned she was now ?hooked? on ballooning.
l Maureen Toland is pictured presenting Ingo Beckmerhagen with his special ?thank-you? bottle of champagne, courtesy of Tavistock Lions Club.