Election '97: Is it a bird? A plane? No ... it's the Lib Dem delight

Ladies of a certain age in Eastbourne will never be quite the same again. Out of the sun in a helicopter he swooped, the ex-Royal Marine officer smiling that crinkle-cut smile and flirting with their voting intentions. However, no sooner had Paddy Ashdown arrived, he was gone, leaving the ladies to pat their noses with restorative camphor.

It was enough to make a girl palpitate - or even vote Lib-Dem. Sufficient numbers of them are being wooed away from the Tories, Mr Ashdown believes, to make the cameo appearance worthwhile.

The short, sharp stop on the Costa Geriatrica in southern England was illustrative of his other helicopter hops yesterday - wind-provoking and, above all, quick.

It will be more of the same in the next two days as he makes commando raids on 16 constituencies. Yesterday, the Paddywagon coach left Westminster just after 10am to Battersea heliport where we lifted off in a 24-seater Sikorsky at 10.38. Exactly 30 minutes later the aircraft, normally used for shuttling North Sea oil employees around the Shetlands, touched down in Colchester Barracks - to the evident bemusement of the other ranks.

A jog across the lawn into a coach and two minutes later we were outside government property and Mr Ashdown was able to hold forth without polluting the apolitical atmosphere of the Ministry of Defence.

Having addressed his loyal troops for ten minutes outside the down-at- heel Arena Sports & Leisure Club, the entourage found itself back on the bus.

At 11.39 we were up and away across the fields of Essex, the mud flats of the Thames and Medway, heading for the twin-sets and pearls of Eastbourne.

The Lib-Dem manifesto might be carefully costed, but the expected arrival of additional television crews meant there were 25 people for a 24-seater aircraft. James Gurling, a forlorn Lib-Dem official, was left behind at Eastbourne.

A 14-minute hope west along the coat to Lewes, where more activists found themselves addressed by the great man. The helicopter disappeared for re-fuelling and we subsequently took off for Twickenham around an hour late.

Having landed at the Harlequins rugby-club ground we were back on a coach for a five minute drive to Twickenham Green.

The Lib-Dem leader apologised to a crowd of activists for his lateness. The wind had been with the helicopter - presumably a metaphor for an increase in Lib-Dem popularity - but the leader had been delayed by the tumult which had attended his appearances. The pilot begged to differ. He said the wind was against us all the way.

Asked whether ten-minute swoops on constituencies could make any difference to voting intentions, Mr Ashdown said: "Sorry, I've got to run."