The great gig in the sky

Two Shropshire Star competition winners enjoyed the prize of a lifetime when they joined a pop star for world's first recorded gig in a hot air balloon over the Alps.

Charlie and Louise Brown, from Horsehay, Telford, joined chart topping singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner in Switzerland, where he recorded a session for Virgin Radio more than 2,000ft above the ground

The couple were flown out to join the star in the air by Shropshire company Virgin Balloon Flights after they won a competition in the Shropshire Star.

Mr and Mrs Brown were in one of two hot air balloons which soared above the town of Gruyre on Friday, when the dazzling performance took place.

They joined Virgin Radio DJ Ben Jones for the gig above the mountains.

Back at their hotel in the resort of Chateau D'Oex, the winners were then treated to unplugged renditions of hits including Dream Catch Me, Teardrop and a jaw-dropping cover of Bohemian Rhapsody during a spontaneous second gig by the singer, whose album Hand Built By Robots has sold more than 500,000 copies.

It was a dream come true for the pair, who said it had been a life-long ambition to go up in a hot air balloon.

Mr Brown said: "We used to see the balloons flying over Telford but, with other commitments, we've never managed to go up.

"We always said we would have to do it though, so this was fantastic.

"You are not going to meet many people who will have done anything like this before so we feel really lucky.

"The last thing you want to do in 10 years' time is look back and regret something you didn't do."

Mrs Brown said she was thrilled to have won the contest after collecting tokens from the Star. She said the experience had whetted her appetite for adventure and she hopes to one day bungee jump from a cable car.

The grandmother added: "I've been a fan of Newton Faulkner since I saw his videos on MTV, so it was amazing to be part of something like this."

By Andy Robbins in Chateau D'Oex, Switzerland