BBC globe hopes to make revamped balloon festival

The globe balloon was used on BBC One between 1997 and 2002

A hot air balloon made famous by the BBC could fly at a town's revamped balloon festival, if restoration work goes to plan.

The orange and red globe was seen on BBC One's idents for five years until 2002.

Its original pilot, Mark Lockwood, has re-inflated it and hopes to fly it again at the Northampton Balloon Festival later this year.

"For me it's a great throwback... it's iconic in its own way," he said.

Northampton Balloon Festival is set to return for the first time in four years and will be held at the town's Racecourse, its original location, in August.

It took place at the park from 1989 to 2008 before moving to Billing Aquadrome, as part of the Northampton Town Festival.

The Northampton Balloon Festival was one of the most popular events in the county

Mr Lockwood told BBC Radio Northampton: "As Northampton is back again on the calendar you may be very lucky and the balloon may make a visit to the Racecourse once again."

The pilot said the balloon had been "sitting in a bag, not seen for over 20 years, so we had no idea what it would be like when we got it out - and we were pleasantly surprised that it's not bad, it's looking good for its age".

He said: "It's got a bit of mould and mildew, which is not a surprise for a balloon of this age, so now it's going to have some restoration work."

Mr Lockwood was the creative director at Virgin Airship and Balloon Company and flew the balloon over four months at different UK locations for the idents to be filmed.

The Bristol Balloon Collectors, who are restoring the balloon, also hope to fly it at other events this summer.