Vincenzo Lunardi in 1784 become the first person to fly a hot air balloon in England. A gathering of 200,000 people at the Honourable Artillery Ground in Finsbury attended the take-off. He decided to take off without his friend George but had the company of a dog, cat, and a caged pigeon. He flew northwards up the Lea Valley towards Hertfordshire. His cat became unwell with the cold and was forced to descend in a corn field at North Mimms to remove the cat… He then ascended again for a short distance and again landed his craft at Standon Green End, having flown a total of 24 miles. In 1960, a stone commemorating the landing of the first aerial flight in England was placed at Balloon Corner in Welham Green, but the marker is three miles from the confirmed landing site. Regardless of this Vincenzo Lunardi’s and Welham Green will forever have a place in the aviation history books.
