I planned a novel birthday party for my daughter last week. Alice loves anything new and exciting and is already a bit of a thrill seeker, so I decided to take her on a helicopter ride to celebrate her birthday.

There are many companies in the UK where you can rent a helicopter and pilot for a very reasonable rate. We live in the city and as I wanted to take the ride in a more picturesque rural and coastal setting, I decided to incorporate a camping trip into the plans. We would take a two hour drive to a south west coast camping site and take the helicopter ride on the following morning. I spoke with the mother’s of three of Alice’s girlfriends from school in order to gain their approval for the trip. After answering their questions and concerns they all agreed to let their daughters go.

On the journey down I taught the girls some travel games, which kept them busy the entire time. They particularly enjoyed the alphabet game which involves finding the letters of the alphabet one at a time on road signs and license plates.

We finally arrived at the campsite and set up our camp. I had brought our family tent which comfortably accommodated all of us. The girls were beside themselves with excitement for the helicopter ride the following day – but they would have to wait. As I started a small fire in the outdoor barbecue I was looking forward to opening a bottle of Sebastiani wine after the journey. We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows and told ghost stories. It was getting late and the girls wanted more, but I told them that we needed to get some rest for the big day tomorrow.

The next morning we were all up bright and early. We gathered round for some pictures before packing up our gear in the car and heading for the small airport where the helicopter ride would start.

We were all able to fit comfortably inside the helicopter. Alice and her could hardly contain their excitement! I was taking pictures with one of my five disposable cameras every five seconds. Then the helicopter took off and soared into the sky. Oh my goodness, the thrill, the view, the speed and maneuverability of the helicopter was incredible. At first the girls were squealing with excitement and fear almost at the same time, but then they became silent and only their eyes spoke of the amazement they felt.

When it was over we went for ice cream. We couldn’t stop talking about the whole experience. Alice told me this was the best birthday she ever had. I have to admit it was my favourite too.