Balloon at Pickering Grand Gala.

On 26th July 1911 Dolly Shepherd was making a balloon ascent and parachute jump from a hot air balloon at Pickering's Grand Gala. How the filling of the balloon with hot air was done seems interesting, a pit of fire was set in the ground and the balloon was held above it, the hot air inflating the balloon. Another famous balloonist, Capt Auguste Gaudron supervised this filling. On take off the balloon with Dolly Shepherd aboard drifted through trees dragging her through them. She remained on board and after the balloon rose to 1500 feet she cast loose and parachuted back to earth. The balloon inverted and came to earth soon after.

Pilot - Ms. Dolly Shepherd.

Elizabeth "Dolly" Shepherd was born in 1887 in Potters Bar. She was an eminent parachutist and fairground entertainer in the Edwardian and Georgian eras. She later married and died in 1983 aged ninety six.