MANY, I am sure, will share my view that the completion of the first, non-stop trip round the world by balloon was a wasteful and pointless adventure.

Nonetheless, I am sure that just as many will share my jubilation that it was Mr Brian Jones, of Britain, and his Swiss partner, Bertrand Piccard, who pulled off this feat.

For, mercifully, it has scuppered the hopes of that other contender for this first, Mr Richard Branson, and rescued us from the stratospheric heights of egomania that the man would have gone to in the media had his balloon been the first to succeed.

The only trouble is, he is sure to be working on something else right now to insinuate his image and his ache for adulation upon us - when most of us, if we have any desire to congratulate him at all, would be grateful if he work the wonder of getting his rotten trains to run on time at last.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.