To see somebody else in danger and not to be able to do anything about it is a most unpleasant experience. When, as in this case, it is your own daughter who is in danger, the feeling of helplessness is even more acute. On the day when Gerry and his daughter went to make a film for a children's television programme called Magpie, just such a situation arose.

Here are some points for you to track the idea of the story:

• Gerry's daughter, Christine, has flown across the Channel twice in a balloon.
• When using a Humpty Dumpty balloon, the pilot wears a harness attached to the balloon.
• When Gerry and his daughter went to Teddington, they weren't keen to begin ballooning immediately, because it was windy.
• They attached a rope to the quick-release devices.
• When Gerry shouted 'Cut', Christine undid her quick-releases.
• When the rope was snatched out of the hands of those holding it by the wind, it wrapped round Christine and picked her up.
• When Gerry saw Christine being carried away, he shouted and tried to follow her.
• The rope unwrapped itself from round Christine when she hit the side of the studio.
• Gerry was angry with the ambulance men because he was very agitated.
• Now Christine is perfectly recovered from her accident.