Gosforth hot air balloon company ceases trading

Oct 17 2010 by Coreena Ford, Sunday Sun

FLIGHTS have been grounded after a hot air balloon company ceased trading . . . leaving the plans of North explorers up in the air.

The Sunday Sun has learned the Gosforth-based company Ballooning Adventures – run by husband and wife team Michael and Brownyn Forster – has appointed Tait Walker as liquidator.

Calls to the company are now greeted by a short recorded message, telling customers: “Regrettably, as of October 8, Ballooning Adventures has ceased trading.”

And now it is believed hopeful explorers across the region will miss out on their dream trip in the skies.

Among those left out of pocket is Phil Lutas, of Dunston, Gateshead, who forked out £240 with Ballooning Adventures Ltd back in July, hoping to whisk his girlfriend Fiona Ferguson away close to her 25th birthday at the end of that month.

However, two planned trips were cancelled at the last minute because of bad weather and all attempts to make a new booking failed when the firm didn’t return his calls.

Now Philip, 26, feels totally deflated after learning the company is in the process of going into liquidation.

Philip, a computer games programmer, said: “I’m hoping I can get my money back but I’m not going to be banking on it.

“I wanted to take Fiona in a hot air balloon around the time of her birthday and I thought buying the tickets with a few weeks to go would give me time to get it booked in.

“But they repeatedly cancelled with excuses about various weather conditions like low coastal visibility or that it was too windy.

“I must have made about 30 calls but most times I just got an answer machine, and they never called me back even though I left several messages.”