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Bristol Balloons

Josie d'Arby visits Bristol's 40th Balloon Fiesta and meets Christians making a difference in the city. She also joins members of St Peter's Hospice.

Josie d'Arby visits Bristol's 40th Balloon Fiesta and meets Christians making a difference in the city, including mayor Marvin Rees and a cleaner given a surprise gift by university students. Josie joins members of St Peter's Hospice, sharing its 40th birthday with the Balloon Fiesta, and takes to the skies for an unforgettable hot air balloon ride. She also hears from a Christian changing the lives of homeless people by converting shipping containers into homes. Hymns are from around the UK, including three from St Alban's Church in Bristol.

All for Jesus - St Alban's Bristol
Here Is Love - St Catherine's, Pontypridd
Leaning on the Everlasting Arms - LSO St Luke's, London
We Cannot Measure How You Heal - St Alban's, Bristol
The Lord's My Shepherd - Eastbourne Bandstand
Open the Eyes of My Heart - St Thomas The Martyr, Newcastle
O Thou Who Camest from Above - St Alban's, Bristol.

35 minutes

Stories

Bristol International Balloon Fiesta 40th Anniversary
Josie visits the Bristol International Balloon Fiesta and meets Mayor Marvin Rees to hear about his passion for the event and for the whole city. He describes how he was brought up in challenging inner city circumstances, and how his Christian faith is an integral part of his life.

Bristol University’s Cleaner Herman
Herman Gordon is a cleaner at Bristol University. Despite having had a stroke he continues to offer friendship and joy, inspired by his Christian faith, to staff and students as he goes about his cleaning work. Hearing that he and his wife haven’t been able to visit relatives in Jamaica, the students mounted a crowdfunding campaign to raise money so they can take a holiday there, and gave Herman the cash as a surprise.

St Peter’s Hospice
St Peter’s Hospice in Bristol shares a 40th anniversary with the Bristol Balloon Fiesta. Neil Aplin is a Christian who describes his hospice role of Spiritual Care Coordinator and how he came into contact with Terri Hudson and her partner Geoff who was in the final stages of bladder cancer.  Terri explains how the hospice helped her and Geoff to get married before he died and how Geoff would have loved a ride in a hot air balloon.

Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔless Containers
Jasper Thompson was last seen on Songs of Praise in January 2018 at the start of an ambitious project to convert old shipping containers into micro-flats for homeless people. Now he has doubled the number of containers being refurbished, and introduces Josie to his first resident Rob, a former homeless person who credits Jasper and his own Christian faith with a positive transformation in his life.

Hot Air Balloon Ride
Josie meets Terri Hudson whose husband Geoff died at St Peter’s Hospice, for a hot air balloon ride to remember Geoff. They take in the beauty of creation from the skies.

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter Josie d'Arby
Executive Producer Emyr Afan
Executive Producer Cat Lewis
Producer Mark Warburton
Producer David Waters
Series Producer Matthew Napier
Production Company Avanti Media

Broadcast