I skydived with High Wycombe MP Steve Baker and the Mayor

On Sunday morning, Mayor of High Wycombe Arif Hussain and I headed to the Hinton Skydiving Centre in Northamptonshire bright and early - determined, come what may, to fling ourselves out of a plane.

We had twice been thwarted in the previous week, with the predictably cloudy and wet English weather delaying the tandem skydive we were taking part in to raise money for two charities close to the mayor's heart.

Those initial false starts proved fortuitous however, as we were joined on Sunday not only by a bit of sunshine and blue sky but also Steve Baker, Wycombe's standing MP. 

A veritable pro in comparison to us newbies, Steve was a very welcome presence - with over 300 jumps under his belt, he did a great job of distracting Arif and I from the daunting reality of what we had agreed to do. 

This distraction took the form of an impulsive formation skydiving demonstration on 'creepers' - wooden boards with wheels that help divers practice what amounts to a sort of airborne synchronised swimming. 

As the anticipation began to build, Arif and I also sat through a training session to learn the best body positions for take-off and landing - 'be a banana' were the words ringing in my ears as we headed thousands of feet up into the clouds.

The reality of what we were doing only truly hit home for me, though, after the plane door opened at 13,000 feet and the person in front of me sharply dropped out of sight. 

My instructor - the amazing Steve Baldwin, who was very reassuring despite my shakiness - secured my straps, I assumed a banana-like position at the aircraft's door and, before I knew it, we were off.

Skydiving really is an indescribable feeling, especially the initial freefall when you are plummeting at around 120 miles per hour.

I found myself alternating between a euphoric fear and a sense of unreality as we fell, feelings brought more sharply into focus by the sudden contrast in speed of the parachute opening after a 50-second drop.

We floated in the sky for a few minutes - tandem skydiving is a great first taste of extreme sport because you always feel supported but you also get a chance to take the controls into your own hands.

After some experimentative whirling around and steering of the parachute in different directions, Steve and I glided gently down to earth - knees up high for landing!

The post-skydive adrenaline rush was just as unbeatable as I had been told it would be. There's a unique kind of energy that comes from putting yourself in such extreme circumstances and making it out unscathed. 

As you can see in the photos below, Arif and I were walking on air after our jumps (quite literally!). 

The Mayor and I were proud to jump in support of two mental health charities, Wycombe Mind and Growing Hope, both committed to providing affordable treatment for young people.

As Arif enters his final week of mayorship, he is still working towards a fundraising target for these charities of £5,000. Any donations are greatly appreciated.

We both had an incredible time and I am also indebted to the local insurance business Accident Injury Help Line (AIHL), who generously sponsored the jump.

Click here to donate to our charity skydive fundraiser now.