It's organisers described it as the star studded media launch which would project an often embarrassing issue onto the front pages. But in Central London a campaign designed to launch a weeks worth of activities stressing - 'the importance or impotence' - was nothing more than a huge let down.

National Impotence Week, now in its 10th year aims to raise awareness of impotency issues and remove the stigmas often attached to this subject.

Limp Biscuit
Celebrities including former ITV Wrestling presenter Dickie Davis and Abi Titmuss were in attendance at what was supposed to be a huge hot air balloon display - unfortunately freak weather conditions and a national shortage of helium meant that the event never quite rose to its potential.

Project Manager, and former impotence sufferer, Paul Manning looked visibly deflated as increasingly fervered attempts to breath life into the balloons failed.

Titmuss: had hoped to raise more than awareness

A crowd of 3,000 looked on for nearly an hour, before many of them returned home or retired to the beer tents to drink free pints of 'Brewers Droop' provided by the sponsor Whitbread.

Flacid
'Clearly this isn't quite the climax we were hoping for' Manning said, ignoring the fact that the climax should come at the end of the week - not the beginning - 'but we've lots of other events coming up this week including an Egg and Spoon race featuring Chas and Dave, and a sponsored shouting match between Stephen Hawking and former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith.'

The centre piece of the event fell a little flat

Bloodless
With the PR company running the day insisting that tiredness was to blame and that this kind of thing was 'normal, it happens to most balloons at some point or other' Mr Damian asked whether the failure of the opening spectacle would dishearten the team leading the iniative.

Manning was adamant that it wouldn't. 'I've no doubt the team will rise to the challenge,' he said.

Based on their past track record we wouldn't be quite so sure.

Posted by damian at September 21, 2005 11:57 PM