Flying Ovens has gotta lotta bottle

Has Andrew Ovens, marketing manager at the Dairy Council, been fuelling himself with the, er, “white stuff” of late? The Diary hears that Ovens attempted to get as high and far-out as possible, by launching himself off a pier in Bognor Regis.

But this was no act of desperation for Ovens, part of the team which came up with the Council’s latest campaign for milk, called “The White Stuff”. Ovens, in a replica World War II Spitfire, was competing in the annual International Bognor Birdman Competition.

On his obsession for milk, Ovens says: “I drank a glass of milk before the jump and just went for it.”

The aim was to fly 100 metres.

Ovens managed 4 metres 24 centimetres. His flight lasted just 1.35 seconds. “He needs a milk float,” commented one wag back on dry land.