The One Show
The One Show’s Jamie Crawford in action as the balloon is inflated.
In September 2011, Helen and Martyn finally managed to appear on prime-time TV, in an edition of BBC 1’s ‘The One Show’ that also featured Des O’Connor and an item about the importance of neutering feral cats.
Stonehenge as seen from the One Show balloon, 6.37 AM on the 4th July 2011.
The appearance had nothing to do with Damerham, however, but was connected to another research interest – early aerial photography. The film’s makers were interested in two things – firstly, some aerial photographs of Stonehenge that were taken from a military reconnaissance balloon in 1906, and represent the first aerial photographs of an archaeological monument in this country; and secondly, the importance of aerial photography to archaeology.
Several hours after the balloon landed, Helen awaits further interrogation.
This provided the excuse for a rather leisurely trip past Stonehenge in the One Show balloon for Martyn while Helen got to sit on the bank of the Stonehenge Avenue and answer a few questions over and over again for several hours in searing heat. Inevitably (and thankfully), much of what we saw and said didn’t make it into the final film. Anyone who wants to know more about early aerial photography and those 1906 Stonehenge photos should visit the English Heritage page and also check out Martyn & Helen’s publications listed on the Further Reading page.