Former Mayor of Stratfordupon-Avon Cyril Bennis is ready for a trip into space.
Mr Bennis, aged 57, is one of almost 200 people who have already signed up for suborbital trips which will be run by US company Space Adventures from 2007.
The trips, which will take passengers 62 miles above the Earth, will be in a new breed of reusable launch vehicle, which is being developed, with rocket motors.
Mr Bennis, who visited Florida two months ago to try out a zero gravity programme, said: "This is the next generation of commercial passenger travel and my mission is to be a part of it. It has got to be the ultimate for anyone who has sat and watched Star Wars or Star Trek and thought 'Will that ever happen?'.
"It's been my dream ever since I was at at school and I met astronaut John Glen. When space travel takes off you will be able to go to Paris for lunch and the Pyramids for dinner.
"Space is for all of us and I want to be one of the first to get up there." The trip, which is expected to last just 90 minutes, will cost Mr Bennis $100,000 and he is looking for sponsorship. He is already training and will run the Marathon of Britain in September to get himself in shape.
He also plans to visit Star City in Russia - where astronauts are trained - to take the astronauts' space flight training pre-qualification next August. The trip, which he is funding himself, will cost £10,000.
