Giovanni was a lorry driver for two decades, right through the years of awful congestion that used to bring Britain's cities to a halt.

Though he enjoyed the open road (when there were no traffic jams), he left the industry a few years ago because long-distance road haulage was in decline. There were fewer goods to shift around and they were designed much better for transport - lighter, with less packaging.

Plus the supermarkets and all the other big delivery companies started cooperating with each other, sharing journeys and depot space. The industry became much more efficient and as a result fewer drivers were needed.

He set up and ran his own local delivery company for a while, working locally and delivering 'the last mile' for a wide range of clients - department stores, bookshops, supermarkets, the farmers' cooperative and so on. Electric vans of course, to avoid congestion charges and the cost of fuel.

When he got bored of the vans, he sold the company and joined Goods By Air as the pilot of an airship, moving heavy non-perishable goods long distances between major depots.

The airship he pilots uses hydrogen to stay up and a mixture of solar power and hydrogen fuel cells to move. It was a choice for him between this and a canal barge. He likes the views.