Went gliding with The Vale of the White Horse Gliding school. Two sessions in the air - no thermals so when we were towed up to 2000m we had twenty minutes to glide back down but I tried a few turns and some flying on the straight.

It was a one-off birthday present left over from last February (thanks, Brian). This was the first chance I had, owing to writing The Modern World. It was well worth the wait.

The best bit is being released from the tug plane - sudden silence and a wonderful feeling of lightness. I could tell from the strain in the instructor's voice that I was making the turns rather too steep. Oh, and the way the ground kept tilting up.

I love being airborne - balloons, helicopters, parachuting, anything - and I've always used the experiences to help describe Jant's flight in the Castle books.

In the glider cockpit, waiting for the tug plane