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Hello to all
members,
Welcome to BIHA alert # 48. (issued
on
Contents:
1)
Introduction
2)
G.S. Engineering’s reindeer on national
TV!!
3)
2nd hand inflatables & equipment for
sale.
4)
Wanted to purchase
items.
5)
Hints & tips.
6)
Real-life hire stories.
7)
Update on the slowing down
fine.
8)
The inflatable “Portapub”
story.
9)
A solution to the problem of Party
Poppers.
10) Eight “guinea pigs”
needed.
11) Amusing customer
comments.
12)
Human table football – Can you help?
13)
Closing comments.
1)
Introduction.
This year has certainly flown by,
and there has been some very interesting developments in our industry (e.g. new
products being introduced by manufacturers at LIW and other shows) and with the
BIHA. Many members have taken advantage
of the Yellow Pages/BIHA corporate advertising scheme. Please bear in mind that
as your dead-line for inclusion in your local Yellow Pages approaches, you
should receive a flyer from Yellow Pages inviting you to participate in the
scheme. (See: http://www.biha.org.uk/corpad.htm )
You can now view a short video of
the LIW show which took place at the NEC,
All the staff and myself at the BIHA
would like to wish everyone a very enjoyable and peaceful Christmas and a happy
and prosperous New Year.
You can read last month’s newsletter
online at: http://www.biha.org.uk/Alert/NA47sh.htm
2)
G.S. Engineering’s reindeer on national TV!!
It has been a very busy year for
all at GS Engineering and in particular their
reindeer.
Last week Danny, at Easypeasy
Leisure had his reindeer on the popular daytime television programme, GOOD
MORNING which was hosted by Phillip Scofield. Luke Quinn at GPH Entertainments
in Bedfordshire had his reindeer on a Saturday morning children's programme for
Welsh TV, and, Andy Weller at Knockout Entertainments had both his reindeer and
his Saloon Bar Shootout at the annual Dorking Christmas street
festival.
Our new game SAW BONES which was
released at this years LIW, has gone down a storm, and we are now getting a lot
of interest from overseas.
New for January 2006 is our 'Fully
Automatic' Surf & Snowboard Simulator, which comes complete with 3 pre-set
programs and a built in competition timer.
Steve and Denise would like to
wish all their customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New
Year.
Denise
GS Engineering
Ltd.
Tele: 01406
490335
3) 2nd
hand inflatables & equipment for sale
Please see below the latest second-hand
inflatables being sold by BIHA members. If any member is interested in
advertising their second-hand inflatables to over 1,600 BIHA members (completely
free of charge), please email me at: mark.jerram@ntlworld.com (Don't forget to always include your
town and county area, so that potential buyers can calculate how far they must
travel to view your second-hand inflatable before they enquire). If you are looking at a second-hand unit,
always check carefully the condition of the bed seams and also the stress
points. If you are not sure what to look out for when assessing the condition of
a second-hand inflatable - try and take someone with you who is experienced.
(Please note that the BIHA cannot be held responsible for the quality of the
second-hand inflatables advertised in this alert, so please be
vigilant).
FOR
|
FOR
Could you please advertise for sale
our 6 bed Trampoline Trailer. Great hit at school fetes, shows etc. 3 Years old
and in good condition. Has recently been serviced, and has been ADIPS tested
till September 2006. Genuine reason for sale. Price £4250 ono. Contact Ray at
Gobouncing on 07776 212014.
FOR
I’m sellling an inflatable tent/marquee.
Its 3
years old, the structure is 5m high 11/12m squared and in very good condition.
The cover is silver grey and although in good working condition, does look a
little faded.
email me for further infomation or pictures.
rmmmorgan@gmail.com
FOR
BOUNCY CASTLE BUSINESS
FOR
We have a bouncy castle business for
sale, selling due to moving abroad.
All our units can be seen on www.bigonbouncing.com
x1 15x15 Roofed Castle with
slide
x1 12x12 Square
Castle
x1 11x15 Arched Castle with
roof
x1 10x14 Box
Castle
x1 8x11 Party Castle (still brand
new)
Units were all bought brand new in
Jul 05 from Better Bounce, Leeds, they still have manufacturers
warranty.
All units and equipment are in a (AS
NEW) condition, hired only a handful of times. All equipment listed below is
supplied in the sale,
x5 blowers (x3 still BNIB)
x22 Pegs
x6 Mats
x5 Ground sheets x3 never been
opened
x5 Heavy duty transit bags
x1 heavy duty
trolley
x5 RCD's
x3 water cover's for
blowers
x1 Lump
Hammer
x1 Roof cover for
x5 Electrical extension
leads
We also have a
loadtrekker trailer included in the
sale, I will be happy to email Pictures
and information to anyone interested.
If you would like to keep the
name Big On Bouncing, the Logo is also included , website can also be
transferred, small amendments like Tel No, address, will be made if you
wish.
ALL THE ABOVE PACKAGE PRICE
INCLUDING TRAILER
£3,000 ono
Please feel free to contact me on:
01637
876686
email mark@stcolum.freeserve.co.uk
email info@bigonbouncing.com
FOR
12 x 12 inflatable castle red and
yellow with clown decoration good for hire outs for smaller
children
West Wales area 750.00 telephone
07971 661062
Sale due to
move
20 x 20 inflatable with mickey mouse
decoration and motif 'ski patrol' have hired out for adult
parties
West Wales area 1800 telephone 07971
661062
Sale due to
move
Chris from Kool 4
Kids
FOR
15ft x 15ft bouncy
castle with blower 2 years old with shower cover in good condition
£500
16ft x 16ft Bounce and
slide castle with blower and shower cover in good condition 2 years old
£500
I also have 1000 ball
pond balls going for £50
All equipment must be
gone by March time as we have new equipment coming.
Please call Neil on
0800 1953688 you can also see the inflatables on www.starjumpent.co.uk
FOR
Barfly (velcro
wall) Something different to add to your collection and stand out
from the crowds at events. This unit comes with an adjustable trampoline (which
is separate to the unit, not like the cheap ones you can get where it is built
in and puts a lot of stress on the bed) and many suits sizes ranging from 5 year
olds to adult suits. £650 ono Any questions please email me lins.thomson@btinternet.com or call me on 07793 544 887.
FOR
14w x 24l x 20h clown mega slide
£1600
15w x 24l x 16h multi coloured mega
slide£1400
12w x 22l x 12h disney midi slide
£900
15 x 15 gladiator joust with full
length padded pugil sticks and metal three piece per podium frame which is
strong and easy to move/store, £995
16 x 16 bouncy
boxing £995
sumo suits + 12ft diameter mat
£750
10 x 12 bugs life
£500
12 x12 bobs builders yard with pop
ups £550
12 x 12 snow
white £550
15 x 15 adult castle
£650
18 x 20 frog castle
£800
All of the above are in perfect
condition and all come supplied with suitable
blowers.
if you would like more information
of wish to see pictures please contact me on 01932
336306.
FOR
SALE
HUMAN TABLE TOP FOOTBALL (WITH POLES
NOT ROPES FOR COMPETITORS).
-
SOCCERAMA/SHOTS IN
-
GLADIATOR-
-
SLAPHEADS
ALL
IN GOOD CONDITION AND USED A MAXIMUM OF 15 OCCASIONS EACH.
CONTACT: 0121 552 6655 or Neil@Turnerbates.co.uk
for further information.
4)
Wanted to Purchase.
We are looking for a Gunge Tank if
anybody has one for sale.I will be over in UK in early Jan 06 so I can collect
it. Also for sale a Tracer Zone paintless paintball ball shooting Range for
sale. 24ft x17ft x12ft high its almost new comes with 3 electronic targests 6
guns and all ancillaery equipment £2500 and we can deliver early Jan. Photo
available by email.
http://www.irishbouncycastles.com/used.htm for some others
for sale.
We also need to pay our membership
if you can tell me the best way to transfer this as I don.t have a £strl
cheque.
Best wishes for a successfull
2006.
Kindest Regards.
Eric O'
Sullivan
Managing Director
Carousel Enterprises / Toons and
Balloons
Tel: +353 96 32042
Fax: +353 96 32042
Mobile: +353 86
2692630
Email: info@toonsandballoons.com
Web: http://www.toonsandballoons.com
" Our Business is Fun
"
5)
Hints & Tips.
a) Hi
Mark,
I would like to forward a few
suggestions about reducing the risk of theft of
inflatables.
We can all take steps to ensure our
premises and vehicles
are secure, but theft by deception,
and theft from site is something we are all vulnerable
to.
Firstly, I wish manufacturers would
incorporate some type of chain mail type webbing material, or even some of that
plastic coated wire cable, sewn and bonded into the inflatable, perhaps at the
anchor points, which would enable us to put a padlock and chain on the things
when we leave them in peoples gardens overnight. Surely this would be simple to
do. I know its not fool proof, but even if the
inflatable
is only chained to the blower, it at
least makes it difficult to
roll up and have it over the
fence.
Secondly. Make it difficult for
thieves to sell on, apart from having inflatables sign-written, write your
trading name and phone number, and tag number in at least several places, on the
underside and even inside the unit, with one of those permanent marker
pens.
Thirdly, how about a website and
photographic data base for
stolen inflatables. Used in
conjunction with the PIPA scheme,
and each inflatables individual I.D
number, stolen inflatables
may well turn up in the repair and
testing procedure at some time.
David
Jumping
Jacks
b)
Allow your customers the option of paying by Paypal. Many people regard this as “bonus” money, and
are keen to spend it on goods and services which will bring enjoyment and fun to
their family. Visit: http://www.paypal.com/uk
6)
Real life hire stories (Hirings from hell!)
a) Hi Mark. I enjoy reading the BIHA
newsletters.
I have a funny story from this
summer. I delivered a bouncy castle to a cottage in a village in Kent. They are
a regular customer. A field runs along the side of the garden. I ran the cable
from the cottage along the fence. I inflated the castle and left. When I
returned the customer told me one of the cows in the field had chewed through
the cable whilst the party was in progress. Luckily the cow survived and the
customer had a spare cable he could use. He gave me a replacement cable because
he felt a bit guilty.
I have been back to the customer but
now I keep the cable inside the fence.
Kind
regards
David
b) Hi Mark
Just thought I would let you know about one of the
strangest hires I have ever had.
On Monday, I
received a phone call asking to book one of my bouncy castles preferably
a 10ft x10ft unit from a guy in my area he wanted it for Wed till Thursday I
told him I don’t do overnight hires and anyhow the weather was to be
bad.
He told me it’s not a problem it was indoors well kind
of indoors confused I asked him to explain.
It turns out the guy has been staying at my local
harbour for the last 8 months he is
turning a large fishing boat into a bed and breakfast
establishment, it has now been renovated
and has a large cargo area. It’s his
son’s birthday and he has invited all his chums to a party, he has seen my 10ft
x10ft bouncy castle at his son’s nursery and knows it will
fit.
I thought “ok why not”.
On Monday, I arrived at
Turns out he wanted to hold the party at sea but some of
the other kids’ parents were not too keen, so he decided to dock. (it made me
think what address could I give to my insurance company if accident happen or
what if his boat sank would lost at see be a viable claim for me) he he he
Anyway I forgot about the overnight thing and at 6.00 pm that evening I returned
to pick up the castle, boy was I in for a shock it turns out the boat was
about 15 foot drop from the top of the pier that’s why he needed it
overnight
I did have a laugh about it though, it turns out they all had a fantastic day and
he has booked me for Christmas and summer next
year.
And they say worse things happen at
sea!!
Stevie
Hop-On bouncy castle hire
Scotland.
c) Back in
July we delivered an adult castle to a very large house with a field for a
garden! To save time I asked the
customer if I could drive the van to the drop point which she agreed to. What I
didn’t realize at the time was the garden was clay based! (Can you see where
this is going?)
After
unloading & setting up, I jumped back in the van ready to go &.....I got
stuck fast in the mud!
The
customer had a merc 4x4 & tried in vain to tow me out but ended up stuck
fast herself! Fortunately she was
friendly with the local farmer & got him to tow both of us out with his
tractor!
Steve (1st
4 Leisure)
7)
Update on the slowing down fine.
You will
remember from a few newsletters ago,
about a BIHA member who was given a ticket by a policeman for slowing
down on a quiet road while he was looking for his customer’s house. Anyway, I have recently had a phone call to
say he has refused to pay the fine and it is going to court. I will keep members informed of the
outcome.
8)
THE INFLATABLE “PORTAPUB” STORY
Amber Iris Limited was appointed by
Airquee Limited[1][1] as Authorised and Exclusive
Distributors of the World’s First Inflatable Pub in March
2005.
Airquee Limited using leading edge
technology to BS ISO 9001 standards manufacture the PortaPub. With over 20 years of experience of creating
bouncy castles and new and exciting inflatable products, Airquee’s design team
have supplied major customers including Coca-Cola, Pepsi, Adidas, Nike, Esso and
Microsoft.
Amber Iris Limited is a professional
Sales & Marketing Organisation. Its
co-founders Paul and Diane Browning have a wealth of experience of running
Companies providing products and consulting services to a number of Major
National and International Companies.
Distributing the PortaPub is a new and exciting venture for Amber Iris
who first saw the Inflatable Pub featured in an article in The Brewer
International magazine last October. “I immediately saw the
potential for this unique innovative product, and being a member of the
Institute of Brewing and a supplier to the UK Brewing Industry for many years I
reached for the phone to speak to Mark John of Airquee – and the rest is
history”, says Amber Iris’s Paul Browning.
Since our website was launched in
March, interest has been higher than we could ever have expected. We have had over 2000 hits from all over the
world especially Australia, New Zealand and the USA, including some well-known
Global Companies such as Honda, Volvo, Diageo, Greene King and Carlsberg
Brewery. We have also been approached by
a handful of other Companies interested in distributing the PortaPubs or
entering into a joint-venture to market the Pubs in the UK and Australia. Airquee have also appointed a Distributor in
Boston, USA.
There are 3 PortaPubs in our product
range, and all are named after old English traditional names for beer containers
– The Hogshead, The Kilderkin and The Firkin.
|
PORTAPUB
SPECIFICATION |
NET
PRICE £
Sterling |
|
the
hogshead 14.7m
x 7m ex.
dimensions |
16,500.00 |
|
the
kilderkin 5.9m
x 5.1m ex.
dimensions |
5,450.00 |
|
the
firkin 4.8m
x 4.2m ex.
dimensions |
4,379.00 |
The Hogshead is constructed to a
typical “Olde Worlde” British Pub design with superb attention to detail. With a pan tiled roof effect and chimney pots
on the exterior to a welcoming Inglenook fire place feature and stone wall
effect on the cosy interior – it’s just like relaxing in a real country
pub!
So far the Hogshead has featured at
the Bristol Kite Festival 2004 and the Performance Textiles Show,
The market for the PortaPub is
diverse, but can be conveniently split into 2 distinct sectors. The first is the Corporate Sector and Amber
Iris Limited has a strategic marketing plan targeting the Brewing Industry,
Distilleries and Pub Groups. This is an
obvious product-to-customer-match. But
interest has also come from other well known non-drinks related businesses such
as Volvo, Honda and Porsche and so the market is endless. Amber Iris have also been approached by a
number of well established Event and Sponsorship Consultancy firms who handle
work on behalf of well-known UK and Global blue-chip
organisations.
THE
PORTAPUB AS A BUSINESS
The other market is The PortaPub as
a Business Opportunity. If you are
looking for a unique business opportunity with huge appeal, then a PortaPub
rental business could just be for you.
Amber Iris is seeking to develop a
network of PortaPub owners in strategic geographical areas throughout the
However buying your PortaPub is just
the beginning.
Whether you are already running an
established business or on the brink of developing a brand new venture Amber
Iris will support you all the way to maximise the success and profitability of
your new PortaPub rental business.
We will be your PortaPub Partners
for your first 12 months in business … and even longer if you wish. Our support services include Induction
Training, How To Set Up and Run Your Own Business, Sales & Marketing, Food
Hygiene, Beer Dispense and Beer Supply and Product
Sourcing.
What is the appeal of the World’s
First Inflatable Pub? “a masterpiece”,
“a clever invention”, “fantastic”, “how can I get hold of one”, “what a great
idea – hats off!” are just some of the many complements we have received. In practical terms the appeal of the PortaPub
is its stunning appearance, versatility and affordability. The size and feel of a real pub at a fraction
of the cost of one built with bricks and mortar.
Portable
Relaxation… The World’s First Inflatable Pub
For
additional information see Amber Iris’s website www.amberiris.co.uk or contact Paul Browning – paul@amberiris.co.uk or simply phone direct 01470 542492.
9)
Party Poppers on wet inflatables – The problem solved?
This
intriguing message recently appeared on the BIHA message board: www.biha.org.uk/messages.htm
Some time ago I went to pick
my Jungle 12”x12”. Someone had used a Party Popper and the red string had got
on the unit, this is the worse colour. It was dusk when I picked and it as it
was my last pickup. I only noticed when I put it up to clean it. I was gutted.
What was I going to do?
Then in the message board, I
noticed the post by VBLIH about a cleaner to remove this. So I sent him a mail
and £6 for a sample.
I put the Castle away ready
to use the cleaner as soon as I got it. However due to work commitments &
weather it was about 3 weeks before I got to test this. This may have had a
bearing on the results. Also the instructions mention that an alcohol-based
cleaner would fix the stain. As the dye in the party poppers is water based.
This makes sense.
The application of the
cleaner consists of putting the liquid onto a paper towel and placing on the
stain. So as the dye lifts off the Castle to the
towel.
To use the product I setup
in a local hall. So I could guarantee the weather wouldn’t get in the way. With
the Castle deflated I moulded the affected area into a dimple. I placed towel on
the stain and liberally soaked the area with the cleaner. After about 30mins I
noticed that the stain was lightening. Every hour I changed the towel and
cleaner. After 5 hours the stain had lightened by about 90%. The stain is now
hardly noticeable unless you get up close.
When I asked for a sample. I
said that I would try and post my comments on the message board. I must
apologise I have not done it sooner.
The conclusion based on my
experience:
1. There is some time
involved. Depending on the fastness of the stain.
2. Use the cleaner ASAP
& don’t use any other cleaner first.
3. If you are looking for
a miracle there isn’t one. But this is about as good as I feel you will
get.
4. Compared to a ruined
castle it has got to be worth a try.
5. I will buy more of
this to have on hand for next season.
Ians
Comments
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for the information. It does
take the path I would expect on party popper stains that have been cleaned with
other spirit based methods before my method, hence increasing the time taken and
not a complete stain removal, exactly what the instructions mention that were
sent with the product. Party popper stains that have not been tampered with are
removed on the first application / attempt.
Trouble is, customers may attempt to remove them without our knowledge
during the hire.
On a positive note - I am so pleased
that your problem has been addressed to a degree that you seem happy with, i.e.
90% better. (although it goes without saying 100% would be better) It makes all
the time I spent on getting to this stage worthwhile. Party Popper stains have
always been a nightmare, the key factor is don't use spirits as they
don't work and makes the removal a lot more hassle.
Any comments are always welcome as
indeed suggestions on how to make the application clearer for you, the
customer.
Kind regards,
Ian.
10)
Eight “guinea pigs” needed.
The BIHA is delighted to announce
that in the new year it will be introducing a unique and new state-of-the-art
service for BIHA members. One of our
members in conjunction with a colleague has developed a website creation system
for inflatable hire companies which enables the owner to add and change text,
images, etc. at the click of a button.
No website or HTML / FTP knowledge is required. The cost is extraordinary low. From as little as £5.99 per month, which
includes domain name, hosting, website template and the software and systems to
be able to update your website as and when required. The technology to be able
to do this is “state of the art”.
There is also the opportunuity of
having a calendar built into the software which will enable visitors to your
website to see if there are any inflatables available on a given date. This calendar can be updated instantly
without the need for HTML, WYSIWYG editors or FTP knowledge. In addition, weather updates can also be
added to the websites.
The technology behind this is
similar to that which eBay use for allowing people to add, remove and change
text and images on their auctions, listings and online stores. If you are an
eBay user, you will find this web creation system particularly easy to use.
The BIHA is looking for eight to ten
volunteers or “guinea-pigs” who do not currently have a website, but would like
to have one created for them for FREE and also hosted completely FREE OF CHARGE for one year. You would also have the
opportunity of changing text, images etc. yourself. It is very easy, and is no more difficult
than sending an email or writing a letter in Word.
All we ask in return is that you
keep the BIHA informed as to how you are finding the system, e.g. what you like or dislike about it, and
how quickly you were able to be up and running with it. We are also interested to know what effect
having a website has had on increasing your number of bookings and the quality!!
If the “guinea pigs” find this
website system successful in supporting and building their businesses, then it
will be rolled out to all BIHA members (who do not currently have a website), or
who may already have the site but like the idea of being 100% in control of
their site, without the need to necessarily rely on an outside
webmaster.
If you are interested in
participating in this free trial and being a “quinea pig”, please email me
at: mark.jerram@ntlworld.com
Please note that if you are chosen
as a “guinea pig”, you will not incur any website or hosting costs for one year.
(Even the domain name of your choice is set up for you) After this first year has expired you can
then have the option of continuing with the service at an overall cost from
around £5.99 per month or cancelling it.
The choice is entirely yours.
Watch this space in early
2006!!
11)Amusing
customer comments.
One customer said to the operator
during an indoor hire.
“When you remove the sand-bags, will
the bouncy castle float up into the air like a hot air
balloon???”
12)
Can you help with Human Table Football?
Mark
Could you
also publish the following appeal for help?
Calling all human table
top football owners. We have a contract with a national charity to provide
human table top football games during 2006. Venues can be anywhere in the
We are unable to fulfil
the contract but do not want to let the charity down. Can you help? If you are
prepared to be available in a particular area, can you contact me with details
of your daily rates and area you are prepared to deliver to?
In particular, we need
a contact in
Contact: Neil Bates on
0121 552 6655 or Neil@Turnerbates.co.uk
Mark.
Thanks for your help in these matters. Unfortunately, a slipped disc and
inflatable games are not good companions!
Yours
sincerely,
Neil Bates.
13)Closing
comments.
I hope you have found this
newsletter enjoyable and beneficial. If
you would like to include anything for the next newsletter – please email me at:
mark.jerram@ntlworld.com
All the very best for Christmas and
the new year.
Best
Regards
Mark
Mark
Jerram
Founder of
the British Inflatable Hirers Association (BIHA)
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