Looking over the balloon basket at a great aerial view of Battersea Park, a 200 acre park created in its current form during the mid 1800’s when the Victorians made many of London's great parks for public enjoyment. Previously known as Battersea Fields it was a popular place for duelling! At that time some of what is now the park area was used for the growing of vegetables for consumption by London's inhabitants, lavender and particularly melons and asparagus. Battersea Fun Fair occupied the large green area to the left of the picture that is now the park’s events area. The fun fair was sadly closed down soon after the "the worst accident in the history of theme parks" when 5 children were killed on the Big Dipper in 1972. In 1986 three very unusual hot air balloons created by the artist Andre Heller flew from Battersea Park and landed in Essex.