26/06/2023
So, Im very pleased to say first of all that the bouncy castle is back where it belongs. The questions on all of your lips is, 'where did it go', 'who took it'?..
First of all can I say a big thank you to you all. I'm really touched by all your help sharing the post, helping to find our missing inflatable and your kind comments about our great service :-). It wouldn't have found it's way home without you.. or maybe it would have.
This Sunday just gone and after seeng my post I had a text come through to say..
'Hi Paul, just wondered when you were coming to collect the pirate ship bouncy castle? We were expecting you last Monday.
Now, while I feel completely daft about posting this I'm going to share the story. I feel you all deserve to know.
So, the customer (who will remain anonymous, lol) booked out our Dinosaur bouncy castle for Friday 16th June. When I turned up customer says "I wish id booked it for the weekend now'. I said "I'll have a look to see if it's available''. It wasn't available so I said no problem, what we'll do is bring another to replace it when we collect it later today. The one we replaced it with was the Pirate Ship castle.
Now this little scenario hadn't happened before (collecting a bouncy castle and immediately replacing it with another) so we, (ok I) didn't make a new booking for the pirate ship or change the existing booking.
So, when it comes to checking the stock later that day we had everything back in that had gone out (according to the booking system)
The pirate ship castle wasn't out the following weekend so we (ok, me again) didn't miss it until this Monday when I noticed we didn't have all the BIG Little Theatre safety mats in, so then I checked again and noticed that the Pirate ship castle was indeed missing. So I checked the booking system and the last booking showing for it was at the Royal Oak Mayfield, so my conclusion was we (yes ok me again) had left it there. So I phoned Jean at the RO to ask if the castle was still in the garden, to which she replied "Nooo". She then sent photographic proof from the CCTV of me collecting it on the night of Sunday 10th June 7.30pm (is this starting to sound like a murder mystery?) Thank you very much Jean & Sid :-)
So, I'm starting to wonder what on earth had happened to it as I had no other deliveries/collections after getting the Pirate ship castle from the RO and I didn't go anywhere other that straight home afterwards. So I came to the conclusion that i must have rolled it up and left it lean't up against the pub on the pavement with the mats to dry a little while I collect the tarp and pegs and then put them in the van, then drove off without the castle and mats and an opportunist thieving little git had made away with it at some point, probably during the night. The other possibility is that I'd left it on the drive at home to dry and it had been taken from there... by a little thieving git.
So I phoned Jean again (probably about 4 times in all, sorry Jean) to ask if their CCTV covered the road but it didn't, so I went to Shentons Garage the next day and spoke to Sarah behind reception who kindly offered to look at their CCTV (Thank you Sarah at Shentons Garage). I felt confident that would provide at least an answer to part if not all of the puzzle. However their CCTV apparently is only triggered by movement on their side of the road so there was nothing to shed any light on the situation.
So feeling completely deflated and frustrated at not knowing what happened to it and frustrated that I couldn't flippin remember was doing my head in.
With no other idea what to do I made the 'MISSING PIRATE SHIP BOUNCY CASTLE' post as you all know.
So, there you have it. I hope you've all had a good ol' giggle at my expense and embarrassment, lol.
Paul
Big Little Theatre
PS
Thankfully the said customer didn't ask for a £500 reward :-)
