HOT AIRBASKETEER
HOT AIRBASKETEER
NEXT time you see a hot air balloon in the sky, take a look at the basket holding the passengers – it was probably made by the Hill family at the Somerset Willow Company in Bridgwater.
Aubrey Hill and his son Darrell make balloon baskets at a rate of four or five a week. The business started 20 years ago when Aubrey made his first basket for Cameron Balloons of Bristol. Until then he had just made small baskets.
"I almost turned down Mr Cameron when he first phoned up, then I decided to give it a try and at first made one balloon basket every two weeks, but now some weeks its one a day," says Aubrey.
The materials used in making balloon baskets are willow from the nearby Somerset levels and cane imported from Indonesia. Rope is used for the handles and, when the basket is finished, the top and bottom are bound with limed hide and covered with suede.
"Some have a part-metal frame, but all have willow and cane. Nothing in hot air ballooning has yet been found as a substitute for basket work. Theyve tried all sorts of space-age materials, but nothing works quite as well as willow. The thing is, when the balloon comes down theres a lot of bumping and scraping, yet despite these stresses and strains, a good willow basket quickly returns to its original shape. Its strong and its flexible."
The tools of the trade are simple and are all used in the hand. A bodkin (a pointed instrument for pushing between the weave), a pair of secateurs to cut the cane and willow, and an iron which is used to tap the woven willow down. The real skill is weaving, and for that you need quick, dextrous, experienced hands. "You never see a fat basket maker," quips Aubrey.