Image caption,

The balloon was seen on BBC One between 1997 and 2002

By Jonathan Holmes

BBC News

A hot air balloon made famous by the BBC will be inflated for the first time in decades.

The orange and red globe was manufactured in Bristol by Cameron Balloons, before being seen on BBC One's idents for five years.

It was retired in 2002 and moved through various storage sites until it was given to a balloon hobbyists group.

Its former pilot wrote to the BBC and the Bristol Balloon Collectors were given permission to inflate it again.

Mark Lockwood was the creative director at Virgin Airship and Balloon Company and flew the balloon at different places across the UK to film the idents for four months in 1997.

Image caption,

The balloon was retired in 2002 and moved through various storage sites

"A lot of people thought it was computer generated, but it wasn't.

"Every shot was absolutely taken on location and the agency selected the shots they wanted," he said.