Glenn The Crepe Man
Imagine our delight when we discovered that our Favourite Crepe man was also working at The Hartlepool Tall Ships Event. Needles to say we indulged ourselves. I had savoury whilst Hazel and Daniella had chocolate. All delicious as usual and at a reasonable price.
If you fancy having The Crepe Company at your event, call Glenn on 07834 952456. He is the Biz!
The Crepe Company
Ron's breakfast crepe
Many companies and organisations pay lots of money to have stands at outdoor events and shows in order to promote themselves. Naturally anyone investing in a this type of venture wants to be noticed. Well, if you really want to draw a crowd then hire a good Punch and Judy Show. I’ve been performing Punch and Judy for ever such a long time and it’s amazing how people react once the show starts. You can have an empty space one minute and as soon as the curtains open and the music strikes up people start to gather. Punch and Judy seems to have a magnetic effect on people of all ages. The kids will rush up and sit down in front of the puppet theatre and the adults watch from a distance. I’m not saying it works every time but nine times out of ten that’s what happens. Old Red Nose ( Mr Punch ) is a proven crowd puller! So, if you are embarking on a promotional event and you are wondering what kind of entertainment to put on your stand give me a call.
Punch and Judy can certainly draw a crowd
Clearly marking the entrance to an event or party is important. Guests and visitors need to be able to find their way in easily. Balloon Decorating provides the perfect solution.
One of the most eye catching ways to mark the entrance is to use a Balloon Arch. Not only will this attract attention but it also helps to set the mood too.
A Balloon Arch marking the entrance to a wedding reception would be in pastel colours or white / cream etc possibly with tasteful trimmings to compliment the colour scheme chosen for the venue.
A Balloon Arch for for a Family Fun Day event would incorporate bright colours to create a happy feeling.
A Balloon Arch for a corporate party, product launch or grand opening is likely to be constructed using corporate colours.
There are many possibilities and I would recommend using a professional Balloon Decorator ( either CBA, Certified Balloon Artist, or NABAS qualified ) as they will be able to advise on design, size, siting etc. They will also have the right equipment to do the job.
As both Hazel and I are CBA‘s please call either of us on 01748 821621 if you require telephone advice or use the comment section below.
Balloon Arch for new Children's Centre by Ron and Hazel Wood, Jolly Good Productions
Time Management
We all lead very busy lives these days and so it’s important to be organised. For most of us the one commodity we never have enough of is time. Remember the old adage ” Time and tide waits for no man ” I have worked in the event business for seventeen years or more and I am well experienced at working against the clock. As an event organiser or event supplier there are no second chances. You simply have to be ready on time. Having a Time Plan is essential.
You might be a busy mum organising a Birthday Party, a volunteer organising a Race Night, a member of a committee organising an Outdoor Event, Fun Day, Fete or Gala or a someone responsible for setting up a Store Promotion or Grand Opening. In every case you have a lot do do and the clock is ticking.
Time Planning Tips
Be organised
First you need to set out your aim. Write down what you intend to do and by when.
Next consider your options. There’s always going to be more than one way to do something. Lets call these ” Courses Open ”
Each course of action will be affected by various factors. Some will be advantageous, others will have a negative effect.
On a sheet of paper jot down your several possible ” Courses Open ” and under each one have two columns. One column for advantages, the other for disadvantages ( or call them plus and minus )
Finally review each one in turn weighing up the advantages and disadvantages of each and from this evaluation decide which will be your best course.
The course you choose becomes your Plan.
Make a To Do List
Now you have a Plan you need to create a To Do List.
Write down everything you can think of that needs to be done. Don’t leave anything out no matter how insignificant.
Go through the list and next to each item jot down how long it will take to complete.
When you have finished your ” To Do List ” you will know the total time needed to get everything done.
Organise your team
Allocate specific tasks to your team.
Prioritise
Put your ” To Do list ” into order with the most important tasks at the top and the least important at the bottom.
Make a Time Plan
On a clean sheet of paper write down the event ” Start Time ” at the top left.
Give yourself a buffer to allow for delays and write down a ” Set By ” time. This is the time that everyone in the team should be working towards. If everything is ready at the ” Set By ” time then there will be a chance for a breather before the event begins.
Works backwards from the ” Start Time ” and ” Set By ” time using your priority list and you will be able to work out the actual time that each task is to be carried out by.
When you have finished you will have a detailed ” Time Plan ” which shows all of the jobs that need to be done, who is going to do them and by when.
Brief your team
Give every member of the team a copy of the plan or brief them and make sure they know what they have to do and how long they’ve got to do it and when to start each task.
Be flexible
Your carefully worked out Time Plan puts you fully in control and hopefully avoids the chaos and frustration that can ocurr in the run up to an event. Remember that the unexpected can happen and so you need to be flexible. Try and stick to the plan but be prepared to make changes and adjust if necessary.
Good Luck!
Any party or event can be so much more interesting and fun if it has a theme. The extent of the ” theming ” will be determined by the time and resources available to the organiser and the budget. Some corporate clients are able to afford lavish decorations, props and entertainment. Usually they engage the services of specialist Theme Companies to transform the venue into an amazing set which will astound and delight their guests. Balloon Decorating can also be used to great effect. At the other end of the spectrum even a birthday party can be themed with a bit of imagination and it doesn’t have to cost a fortune.
Popular themes for corporate events include :
James Bond ( casino tables, black tie etc )
Carribean ( steel band, limbo dancing, grass skirts, coconuts etc )
Seaside ( Punch and Judy, deck chairs, fish and chips, jazz band etc )
Black and White ( black and white balloons and table decorations, black tie )
Las Vegas ( casino tables, balloon decorating )
Wild West ( hot dogs, country band, line dancing, mechanical bull )
Popular themes for children’s parties include:
Pirate Party ( Pirate Puppet Show,pirate flags, pirate balloons )
Princess Party
Fancy Dress
When planning a theme party consider the following :
How can I decorate the room?
What music can I use to create atmosphere appropraite to the theme?
What costumes will people wear?
What food can I serve which will fit in with the theme?
Can I make customised invitations to fit the theme?
Are there any games which will suit this theme?
What entertainment could I hire which will compliment the theme?
The best way to formulate your plan is to get a group of friends or colleagues together and brainstorm ideas to produce a list of options. Then cost everything out and prioritise your list.
One of the easiest ways to change the look of a room is with balloons. For a private party it’s easy to do this yourself but for an event it’s better to hire a qualified and experienced Balloon Decorator to carry out the Balloon Decorating for you.
Make your next social event a theme party, the effort will be worth it!
The Government has distributed leaflets nationally explaining the new rules for safeguarding children and vulnerable adults.
The Independant Safeguarding Authority ( ISA ) has the power to ban individuals from working with children or vulnerable adults if it deems them to be unsuitable.
Anyone who works or volunteers with vulnerable groups either :
frequently – once a month or more for health and social care services, or once a week or more for other professions or
intensively– overnight or four times or more in a month
will have to be registered.
Key dates
July 2010 – new employees and volunteers CAN register with the ISA
November 2010 – ALL new employees and volunteers engaged in a regulated activity on a frequent or intensive basis MUST register.
For more information visit www.businesslink.gov.uk/vbs
Our own position is
We continue to maintain high standards as professional children’s entertainers. The safety and well being of everyone we come into contact during the course of our work has always and will always be a priority.
Our policy remains:
-that children attending our shows or workshops must be under supervision of a responsible adult at all times.
-we do not work on a one to one basis with children or vulnerable adults and we do not take charge of groups of children or provide a child minding service.
-children are not allowed “backstage” or in our admin area unless they are accompanied by a responsible adult.
As members of Equity ( The Actors Union ) we follow the code of conduct as set out below :
It is important to note that entertainers are not employed as child minders and WILL ONLY WORK when there is a responsible adult present. It is the responsibility of the employer to ensure that this condition is met.
Every entertainer listed on this directory has signed up to the following Code of Conduct
There continues to be confusion over when a Criminal Records Bureau check is required. The CRB checking procedure was introduced to help protect children and vulnerable adults. These measures are important and justified. Unfortunately there is confusion about when such checks are required. This statement by Offsted should help to clarify the position.
“Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks are not required for visitors. Visitors do not have unsupervised access to children. The normal risk assessment that applies to all visitors should be quite sufficient. However, schools and colleges have been advised by CRB that a robust risk assessment should take place first. Schools and colleges should be able to provide such risk assessments and be able to explain the rationale for those who have been checked and those who have not. The key test is ‘frequent’ or ‘intensive’ contact with learners.”
This guidance can also apply to events. People who do not have unsupervised access to children don’t need a check. Only those who are working with children on their own or who are being left in charge of children ie in a creche need a CRB check.
The responsibility lies with event organisers to include in their risk assessment for the event a section for child safety. Clearly children with their parents or with a responsible adult are not at risk.
Here is a quick list of tips for Mums and Dads who are organising a children’s birthday party :
I hope you find this list useful. Let me know if you think there is anything that could be added.
Here is a list of the main pages for entertainment to hire from Jolly good productions. This includes pages on children’s entertainment and entertainment for an adult audience .
List revised 14 March 2016
Our slogan is ” Jolly Good Fun For Everyone ” and so when we go to an event to provide children’s entertainment we do like to make sure it’s a hoot ! The other day we worked alongside ” Lancashire Hawks And Owls ” and I thought their static display was fantastic. It was certainly receiving lots of attention from the general public. Everyone from the youngest children to parents and grand parents were fascinated by the beautiful birds of prey. Here are some photos I took.
hawk
owl
If you are looking for a great idea for an outdoor event or birthday party or are planning any other type of event then why not have something with a real hoot in it! Call Margaret on 01254 4605497 or go to the web site www.lancashirehawksandowls.co.uk