Newsletter 51

Hello to all BIHA members,

A very warm welcome to BIHA newsletter # 51. (Issued 3rd May 2006).

  Contents: 

1)   Stolen bouncy castles.

2)     Second-hand inflatables & equipment for sale.

3)     Two Telford inflatable trade shows. (March 2006)

4)     Real life hire stories.

5)     Spotlight on a hire company.

6)     The winning entries. (BIHA competition).

7)     BIHA validation Scheme (BVS). http://www.inflatable-safety.co.uk

8)     How to avoid parking tickets and speeding tickets.

9)     Fuel saving ideas.

10)  Complaint to the BIHA.

11)  Thought for the month.

12)  Jim’ll fix it for you!!

13) Job vacancy.

14)  Additional services from Art and Sole (The company who produces www.biha.org.uk ).

15)  Don’t let your castles be "bounced around!"

16) PAT testing.

17)  Closing comments.

 

1) STOLEN BOUNCY CASTLES


Please can you add this to the next newsletter. Thanks!
Our van was stolen from outside our home in Farnborough, Kent on the night of the 26th March 2006 with two brand new bouncy castles on board. The van was subsequesntly recovered in St Pauls Cray, Orpington, but both castles and blowers etc had been taken. We would like to warn other hirers in the Orpington area to be extra careful.
Descriptions:
- 15ft x 16ft Space Theme Adult/Kids Bouncy Castle (Manufactured by Jump for Joy, PIPA tag number 18222)

- 12ft x 15ft Jungle Theme Kids Bouncy Castle (Manufactured by Jump for Joy, PIPA tag number 18213)

If anyone if offered these units for sale, please contact us on 07904 155403 and your local police.

Kind regards
Fay & Christian (Jumping Jacks)

 

More stolen equipment.

 

Have just been to collect one of my adult castles to find it gone. A note on the door claimed the hirer was called away at short notice and had left the castle rolled up in the back garden. Guess what - its not there!
The police arent interested until I can prove that its been stolen but am 99% sure I'm not going to see it again. It is an adult castle. Very distinctive with an Egyptian theme, 3 bif n bash figures and a yellow pyramid sewn into the bed. The bloke who hired it said that he used to hire bouncy castles on the beach so has experience and may be trying to operate it on a beach somewhere over the bank holiday period.Am gutted as you never think its going to happen to you. There is a picture of it on my web site at www.partytimecastles.co.uk It is the Pharaohs Kingdom Castle. Its also Pipa tested and has the blue Pipa disc sewn onto the front post. There were two red mats with it but one was left behind in the garden - probably couldn’t fit it all into hia vehicle.  If you see it please phone me on 01472 750476  Thanks
Calypso

2)   Second-hand inflatables & equipment for sale.

 

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 1,800 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 SALE

12 x 12 disco bounce / space pod, fully enclosed dome castle, has been hired it out 11 times . The castle was made by Gaz Inflatables in Nov 2004, it has a big alien head that can be tucked in or out on the top. Comes complete with 2 x blowers needed to power the unit.  £1100.00. For pictures please see our website (although the colour is NOT pink, its in grey & black) or phone Leapfrog Inflatables for details - 01435 867441 / 0796 33 22 111. www.leapfroginflatables.co.uk we are based in East Sussex.

Tim & Rebecca

Leapfrog Inflatables

 

FOR SALE

 

1. Galaxy six bed trampoline trailer complete. good earner and can be assembeled by one persone in half an hour. £ 5200.

 

2. Airquee two lane bungee run with adult and childrens bungees complete, as new £ 2, 500.

 

Reason for sale,  moving into diferent field of corporate hire.

 

for further details please call  cris 01263 823150 or 07909 723926.  items may be viewed at www.norfolkbouncycastles.co.uk

 

FOR SALE

 

Large 19x11x9 inflatable slide
Excellent conditon
£600 in Northampton
01604 761466

 

FORSALE

Bouncy Castle Hire Business For Sale

 

3 x 12x12ft - 1 Tiger, 1 Giraffe and 1 Undersea Theme all with shower covers.

 

1 x 12x12ft Slide/Bouncer Combo Jungle theme.

 

1 x 9x12ft Bugs Bunny (old).

 

All the above include RCD adaptors, stakes, tarpaulins and pegs, extension leads, blowers and cleaning accesories.

 

Giant Games

 

2xWooden Jenga, 1 x Wooden Limbo, 1 x Get Knotted 2x2m with inflatable dice, 1 x Snakes and Ladders 2x2m with inflatable dice.

 

Space Hoppers

 

Some Party Bags and fillings.

 

Sack truck, Sand Bags A Board, Stationery, logod fleeces and t-shirts and mobile phone with SIM card and telephone number.

 

£5500.00

 

Please visit our website to view the above at www.airplaybouncycastlehire.co.uk

 

Please call Richard on 01202 854628 or 07773 618401

 

FOR SALE

 

COMPLETE BUSINESS FOR SALE

Genuine reason - Due to increasing family commitments.

Business location - Didcot, Oxfordshire.

Current business name - Jumpin' Jax Bouncy Castle Hire.

Business includes:-

1 x 16'x16' Seaworld themed castle with attached raincover (that folds back) bought June '05 made by Whitehall inflatables.

1 x 12'x18' Wizard themed castle with bouncy slide at front of castle with attached raincover (that folds back) bought March 04 made by BeeTee.

1 x 12'x12' arched castle with detachable raincover.

1 x 7'x7' ballpool, this hasn't got a raincover.  Includes 4 bags of balls approx. 1000.

All castles include electric blowers and anchor pegs.

2 BeeTee mats sizes 6' x 4'.

2 smaller mats sizes approx. 3' x 4'.

4 extension leads (25m).

3 RCD trips.

6 coloured sand bags made by Whitehall inflatables.

1 sack trolley.

Advert in Yellow Pages (there is time to change phone number).

Established business name with future bookings.

White Ford Transit semi hi-top diesel V reg van.  No sign writing on vehicle. Excellent condition.  low mileage.  Fully boarded. Taxed and MOT.

Total price £8000 ono.

Contact:  Lesley Tilbury on 01235 811877    e-mail: graham@tilbury1.wanadoo.co.uk

FOR SALE

CUB KARTS FOR SALE.

THESE KARTS ARE IN FANTASTIC CONDITION WE HAVE FOUR KARTS AND THE INFLATABLE TRACK PLUS 9 BATTERIES AND ALL ACCESSORIES IT ALL COMES ON A SPECIAL TRAILER.

WE ARE SELLING THESE ITEMS DUE TO WE HAVE TOO MUCH STOCK NOT BECAUSE THEY ARE NO GOOD.

WE HIRE THESE OUT FOR CHILDREN'S PARTIES AGES 3 TO 10 FOR 2 HOURS OR 4 HOURS. THEY HIRE OUT FOR £250.00 FOR 2 HOURS AND £400.00 FOR 4 HOURS A GOOD MONEY EARNER.

PLEASE CALL ME ANY TIME FOR ANY MORE INFORMATION.

SELLING PRICE £4000.00

CONTACT TONY HART

WWW.FUNDAYLTD.COM

08700 113 993

07836 570 278

 

FOR SALE

 

Inflatable Climbing Tower For Sale

Only one of its type in the UK.

184 sq ft of surface area but only 10ft tall so need for harnesses.

Comes with confirmed 5 day dry hire booking in August worth £800 on which the deposit has been paid.

The tower has the number 1 natural listing on Google & Yahoo search engines and all enquiries from these will be passed to buyer.

Sale due to shortage of suitable staff.

Serious Offers welcomed.

Tel: 07976 256 702 or email richard@lichfieldentertainments.com

 

FOR SALE

 

12’ x 12’ Octopussy bouncy castle as manufactured by Bee-Tee.  It is now 4/5 years old, but is of exceptional quality, and has never needed repair.  In the last 12 months it has earned me in excess of £1500.  I would like to sell, to release capital to purchase new for the coming season.  It only reached £500 on ebay, so it never reached the reserve.  I would like £800.  The catalogue photo can be seen on my website at – www.stevenagebouncycastles.co.uk  Buyer to collect (Hertfordshire).  Call for more details. Ski – 01438 359114

 

Ski

01438 359114

07985 216658

www.1st-choice-leisure.co.uk

www.stevenagebouncycastles.co.uk

 

FOR SALE

 

mark could you please advertise my bouncy castle hire business. i have run it on a part time basis for seven years now but due to increased hours in my full time job it is time to pass it on.  i want to sell it as a complete package  as follows:

 1   15x15 merlin theme castle.    with 1.5 blower

 1   15x10 pirate theme castle with junior slide      with 1.5 blower
 
  1   11x12 nursery bounce jungle theme     with 0.75 blower
 
  1     12x12 circus theme castle       with 0.75 blower

  all castles apart from the nursery bounce come with shower covers and are two years old. also included are four crash mats, pegs,ground sheets, extension leads with weather proof sockets and sack barrow. i have one years advertising in the yellow pages and bookings  for the coming months. i have full liability insurance which is the cheapest i have come across.I am unsure if it can be changed over but we can try! All this equipment fits comfortabley into my Citroen Dispatch van which is a little tatty but has never let me down. it is white (no surprise there) and is an S reg. this comes with the package. I do have another unit that is a pink fairy castle with slide. this castle is five years old and although well looked after is starting to look its age. im quite sure if this is unwanted my daughters will be overjoyed. 
As I said I have always had to organise my bookings around my full time job but have built it into a decent local business with a good reputation and many regular  customers. The price for this is 7500 pounds which can comfortably be re couped within the first year.

contact Andy on 07956 432 675 or Email leapfrogs2003@yahoo.co.uk

 

FOR SALE

1 14ft X 12ft castle with underwater design, 1 12ft x 12ft stripy castle, 1 12ft  x 12ft castle with a picture of pigs on roller skates on the back. blowers, rain covers, satety mats, pegs.  All must go, total £1600 ono, willing to sell seperately.

Donna Oram  

 

FOR SALE

We have some items for sale that might be of interest.

Including some unusual Inflatables: Airbourne Adventure, Surf Time, PandaCastle by Zizo, Human Football Table and more.

Details at  http://65.109.117.27/used.htm

 

Prices are in Euro but we have a conversion chart on the site and we will arrange delivery door to door.

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 "

 

FOR SALE

 

I am selling:

 

1. 3 Brand new 49cc quad bikes with 30x50 foot inflatable track

 

2. A 12x12 Tiger bouncy castle

 

3. A 10x10 Clown bouncy castle

 

4. An 8x8 Clown bouncy castle (can be used as a ball pit as it has a safety net)

 

5. An undersea adventure maze (size and shape can be adjusted but it is

12x12)

 

6. Giant Jenga

 

7. Bouncy/Space hoppers

 

8. Giant Ludo

 

9. garden darts

 

10. Limbo

 

11. Giant Pick up sticks

 

12. Sack race

 

13. Giant Snakes and Ladders

 

14. Quoits

 

15. Giant Chess

 

16. Get Knotted (Giant Twister)

 

17. Electric start blowers (fans) for all three bouncy castles, the undersea adventure and inflatable track (total of five) to blow them up and keep them blown up

 

For pictures or any more information please email me on getbidding@oink.co.uk with the title quads. I will consider splitting at a reasonable price. Can deliver.

 

 

FOR SALE

 

I have the following items to sell –

 

Bouncy Slide - 19'x11'x12' brand new condition (never hired), offers over £550.

 

Bouncy Castle - 15'x11' 11 months old, excellent condition no damage, ready to hire, offers over £450.

 

X5 new safety mats (6'x4') 3" thick, never used for hire, 4 still in original sealed packaging, 4 blue, 1 red - best offer over £100.

 

X4 safety mats (5'x3'), blue, good condition, £65.

 

Fan (1.5hp), boxed - £75

 

Gibbons Fan (1.5hp), boxed, very little use - £100.

 

Bouncy castle/slide bags (suitable for inflatables as sold) £15 each.

 

All items to be collected from Bristol area.

 

Please contact Kirstie on 0117 3307367 or e-mail 'info@crazyplay.co.uk'

Many thanks,

 

Kirstie Green

Crazy Play, 25 Bye Mead, Emersons Green, Bristol, BS16 7DL.

 

FOR SALE

 

The Big Fun Company has creased trading and is selling off some of our stock, listed below, feel free to view our website and contact us.

Kids dinosaur bouncy castle 12’x12’. PIPA tagged.

Comes with blower, ground sheet, stakes, sand bags and mat.

 

Inflatables supa slip and slide 8’6x19’ underwater theme PIPA tagged.

Comes with blower, ground sheet, stakes, sand bags and 2 mats.

 

Football shoot-out 10’x10

Comes with blower and stakes.

 

2 giant mega four games.

Giant chess and draughts set

 

We are based in Saffron Walden in Essex.

www.thebigfuncopmany.co.uk

 

FOR SALE

 

      10+12 bouncy castle and blower 10 months old only used when out with the rodeo bull    £350

adults sumo suits and mat 8 months old £450

inflateable penalty shoot out and blower like new £350

7.5 kva honda sdmo generator little use like new £400 [£900 new not a cheap chinese copy]

 Tel Andy 07977 534070  or 07973828664    East Yorkshire

 

 

FOR SALE

 

Due to other business commitments we have decided to stop A.M.S bouncy castles gy we would like to thank you and the BIHA for all your help and advice over the last two years.

 

Can you please include in your next news letter our castles for sale;

 

1. 13ft - 16.5ft A frame castle magic theme childrens   £800

2. 11ft - 14.5ft A frame castle jungle theme childrens   £700

3. 16ft - 19.5ft A frame turret castle adult                    £1,600

4. 16ft - 19.5ft A frame hawaiian castle adult               £1,600

 

All the above have fitted rain covers and were manufactured by tear-away leisure in april 2004 and are all in good condition, PIPA tested and tagged. Each castle has fitted mats across and around the step and an electric blower, between them they have only been hired out 80 times.

 

All four castles £4,500 inc VAT

If you would like pictures please email me at simonams@aol.com If you wish to view the castles we are in Grimsby N.E.Lincs

 

Regards Simon A.M.S Bouncy Castles

 

FOR SALE

We are closing down and wish to sell an 8ft by 12ft (including step) box-style castle, with a detachable shower cover. It is two years old and in good condition. It comes with a fan and stakes. Price: £600. We are based in High Wycombe, Bucks. Call 01494 717726.

 

Audrey Wixon

Style Leisure Network Ltd

 

FOR SALE

 

Could you please advertise my bouncy castle hire business. i have run it on a part time basis for seven years now but due to increased hours in my full time job it is time to pass it on.  i want to sell it as a complete package  as follows:

 1   15x15 merlin theme castle.    with 1.5 blower

 1   15x10 pirate theme castle with junior slide      with 1.5 blower
 
  1   11x12 nursery bounce jungle theme     with 0.75 blower
 
  1     12x12 circus theme castle       with 0.75 blower

  All castles apart from the nursery bounce come with shower covers and are two years old. also included are four crash mats, pegs,ground sheets, extension leads with weather proof sockets and sack barrow. i have one years advertising in the yellow pages and bookings  for the coming months. i have full liability insurance which is the cheapest i have come across.I am unsure if it can be changed over but we can try! All this equipment fits comfortabley into my Citroen Dispatch van which is a little tatty but has never let me down. it is white (no surprise there) and is an S reg. this comes with the package. I do have another unit that is a pink fairy castle with slide. this castle is five years old and although well looked after is starting to look its age. im quite sure if this is unwanted my daughters will be overjoyed. 
As I said I have always had to organise my bookings around my full time job but have built it into a decent local business with a good reputation and many regular  customers. The price for this is 7500 pounds which can comfortably be re couped within the first year.

Contact Andy on 07956 432 675 or Email leapfrogs2003@yahoo.co.uk

 

3)Two Telford Inflatable Trade Shows – March 2006.

  http://www.biha.org.uk/telfordslide/telford2006.htm

On the 7th and 8th March 2006, the Inflatable and Softplay Show was held at the Telford International Centre, Telford, Shropshire.   The inflatables on display were superb, although there were not as many as expected. Visitor numbers were also a bit disappointing. 

The exhibitors at this show were:

Jump Jump - 0116 260 6632

 

Kit For Kids – 01732 455000

 

Just Inflatables.com – 01628 529000

 

Inflatable World Leisure – 01949 838921

 

Childs Play Leisure – 01509 853977.

 

AIMODS / PIPA

 

Inflated News

 

BIHA

 

On the 8th March, the Inflat-a-Show was held in the Telford Rink.  This was a busier show and there were more exhibitors and visitors. 

One exhibitor (“Robot Wars”) was unfortunately unable to get their lorry through the door of the ice-rink.  The width of their lorry was about 3mm too wide.  They had to turn away and head home.  This was disappointing as many visitors were looking forward to seeing these "Robot Wars" up close and personal!

 

The exhibitors at the ice-rink show were as follows: 

 

Total Leisure UK  N. Wales-  01352 713069

 

Q.T. Inflatables - Netherlands - +31 24 343 42 41

 

Hyper Inflatables - Bristol - 0117 955 5544

 

Krazy Castles - Kent - 01227 281407

 

AJL - Liverpool - 0151 478 3336

 

Big Fun UK - Ipswich - 01473 743135

 

Solo Services -Halifax - 01422 359966

 

Bouncealong - Coventry - 024 7663 7108

 

Power fans - N. Wales - 01352 732114

 

GAZ - Leicester - 0116 289 7714

 

Abacus - Somerset - 01749 689007

 

Supersumo - Loughborough - 01509 610037

 

Inflated News

 

BIHA

 

You can see some photos of these two trade shows online at:   http://www.biha.org.uk/telfordslide/telford2006.htm

 

The BIHA had a stand at both shows and several new members came on board.

 

 

4) Real life Hire stories.

I knew from the second I got woken up I was going to have one of them days!

 

I had three castles for today, originally 4 but one I had to cancel as I found out before hand it was a flat and they didnt own the ground out side a block of flats so I was worried as she was struggling to get the money as her gov payments wernt in yet and for my castle etc...

 

7:am  I am still sleeping and my phone goes it was the sister of the person who wanted the castle at the flats. She wanted to pay for the castle for her sister and said could I still do it. I had to explain again that I couldnt as I didnt have permission to put it on the land as she didnt own it i did offer if she could do it at a friends house or something. I didnt tell her I didnt trust them if they were that strapped for cash as i had recently read the thread on the stolen castle.

 

9am first castle delivery and there garden was way too small for the adult castle so they offered me a extra £10 ( wish I never bothered now) to drive back and get a smaller castle. I called the next person to check it was ok and they said fine as there party wasnt till later. I changed the castle and set out to the next.

 

10:15am second castle got there to find they went shopping as they thought i was going to be very late ! I did say it would only be 10 - 15 mins. Anyway they turned up at 10:40am  I called ahead to my next one and he said not to bother it was my loss  I tried to get around him but he was not having any of it even at a discounted rate he wanted to upset his kids.

 

I only got 2 castles out and I had a s*** morning. I guess we all have bad days at some point but this took the p*** for me

 

5) SPOTLIGHT ON A HIRE COMPANY.

This month the BIHA will be focusing on Trevor and Jill Taylor’s hire business - based in Tottington, Bury. Lancashire, UK. http://www.tumbleturrets.co.uk 

(Trevor and Jill also won a new Gibbons 1.5 blower in the BIHA competition - kindly donated by bouncycastlesales.com )

 

1. Who are you?   Trevor and Jill Taylor – Tumble Turrets – Bury, Lancashire.  (www.tumbleturrets.co.uk)

2. Why did you start an inflatable hire business?  I once hired a bouncy castle for my daughter’s birthday, but it was very poor.  As a result, I half-heartedly bought a new bouncy castle for her and started hiring it out.  The business has just grown from these small beginnings. 

3. What did you do before?  I am a lecturer in Leisure Management. 

4. What do you most enjoy about the business?  Meeting new people, and being appreciated that you do a good job. 

5. What do you least enjoy about the business?  Wind and rain. 

6. Where do you see yourself in 5 years time?  We would like to grow Tumble Turrets as a family business.  However, we do not want quality of service to suffer, so we do not want our hire business to become too big. 

7. If you could “wave a magic wand” and change one thing about the industry, what would it be?  We would like it to be compulsory for every hire company to have an automatic annual MOT test for each inflatable.  We would also like more regulation e.g. compulsory public liability insurance for hire companies.  

8. Do you have any ideas, hints and tips to help the other members?  (see below for their idea which won them a new 1.5 Gibbons blower.) 

9. How have you most benefited from your membership to the BIHA?  Getting business from the BIHA website which links to our site via the Lancashire link.  We also found out about the low cost PL insurance company through the BIHA, and this has saved us a small fortune.  We also have benefited from using the BIHA logo on our company literature.  

Many thanks Trevor and Jill for taking the time to answer these questions.  If any other member would like to be featured in “Spotlight on a Hire Company” in the next newsletter – please email me at: mark.jerram@ntlworld.com    Many Thanks…Don’t forget your answers and comments will be read by over 1,800 inflatable hire companies.…………

 

6) The winning entries. (BIHA competition)

1)      Overall winner.  (Trevor & Jill Taylor – Tumbleturrets, Bury, Lacashire)

Idea on how to improve your winter hire profits.

Winter is always a slow time for our industry , especially for outdoor hire.  An idea would be to hire an indoor venue (e.g. a community hall) and then setting up about 4 units and charging about £5.00  for an afternoon of fun and would improve profits.  Halls can he hired relatively cheaply and are usually large enough to house 4 units.  Flyers could be sent out to your customer base inviting them to the event.  If this was done during December, then this could be classed as a Christmas party.  Party bags could be included in the price and also light refreshments (even cheese and wine).  A free raffle would also go down well. 

This idea is also a good way of making sure that your inflatables get a good airing during the winter months.

BIHA note:  We particularly like this idea as it solves 3 problems in one. i.e. Making some extra money during the winter, giving opportunities to dry out your best inflatables during the winter and thirdly encouraging new potential customers to see your inflatables “in the flesh”.

2)