The young aviator dubbed 'the Baby Branson' who tried to set up an air service between Oxford and Cambridge, has come down to earth with a very different type of business.

Martin Halstead, now 20, is the marketing director of DMR Music, a newly formed music shop and recording studio based in Oxford's High Street.

Mr Halstead has invested in the business, formerly known as the Oxford Music Shop, after managing director Martin Rynearson took it over earlier this year.

Now, instead of overseeing passenger flights, he is dealing in sheet music, selling saxophones and other instruments and starting to manage local up and coming bands.

But he has not given up his dreams of forming his own airline.

He said: "I almost lost a sense of normality for a while. I am 20 years old and now I am hanging out with people my own age.

"Music is a passion of mine and I have always believed your work should be something you are passionate about."

Mr Halstead's dream of setting up and running the Oxford to Cambridge flights under the trading name Alpha One Airways failed to get off the ground last year.

The former Abingdon School pupil who abandoned his A'levels to become a pilot, did start an Alpha One service running out of the Isle of Man to Edinburgh but says this was taken over by a company called Jetstream Executive in February.

An Oxford-Cambridge service was finally launched by another firm, Sky Commuter, but lasted just five weeks and shut down in March.

But Mr Halstead says he has no regrets about his experience with Alpha One.

He added: "I achieved that and no-one can take it away from me."

And in the future he and Mr Rynearson claim they are considering setting up DMR Airlines.

Mr Halstead said: "We have done various case studies and we are looking at it very seriously. There is more to come!"