As I write this I have watery eyes, slightly shaking legs and chalk all over my hands, tights and quite probably my face.

No, I haven’t gotten into a dust-up with a blackboard, I’ve just spent two hours taking part in the latest craze to hit London – Flying Trapeze.

Made famous in 2003 in Sex And The City (and more recently in a Will Young music video), this trend sees you swinging seven metres (about 24ft) in the air on a trapeze.

London’s first outdoor trapeze school – Gorilla Circus – with its full-size flying trapeze rig, will be in Regents Park until September (and Battersea Park from August 13 to September 10).

Clearly someone was needed to try it out. Step forward one of the biggest fraidy cats around.

I do not do rides. I hate flying. I don’t even like fast cars. So finding myself atop a platform (looking down on the trees tops) preparing to trapeze into thin hair with the brief instructions of hooking my knees over the bar, LETTING GO with my hands and swinging upside down…well it’s not how I usually spend an afternoon.

Confession time. I had to be told at least ten times to jump off that platform. And I did seriously consider going back down the ladder.

But, and this is a very big but, it was actually amazingly exhilarating. I climbed that ladder five times.

By my last go I even managed to get close to pulling off a catching swing (this is where you let go of your trapeze completely and swing from the hands of one of the Gorilla Circus team – who are swinging upside down on another trapeze.)

It’s giddy stuff. And on a warm summer’s day it’ll be a pretty spectacular way to spend an afternoon (even – perhaps especially – if you are a big fraidy cat).

Gorilla Circus will be operating in Regents Park: April 21 – September 2 and Battersea Park: August13 – September 10. For more information or to book a class go to www.gorillacircus.com

Oh, if you fancy seeing Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) having a go, here you are…