B is for.... Bouncy Castles

So for those of you already in the know, a friend of mine - Mr Joel Sparks - is a master blogger and I decided it was time try my hand at it. Let's face it, I have plenty to say on just about everything. Looking for inspiration I suggested an alphabet challenge - taking alternate letters. Mr Sparks then upped the ante by suggesting we each choose each other's words. I chose Aboulia... it's a good read partly I'm sure to the fact that it's such an interesting word! He chose Bouncy Castles!!!!!!

WIKI FACT!!!!

The first inflatable structure was designed in 1959 by John Scurlock in Shreveport, Louisiana who was experimenting with inflatable covers for tennis courts when he noticed his employees enjoyed jumping on the covers. He was a mechanical engineer and liked physics. John was a pioneer of inflatable domes, inflatable tents, inflatable signs and his greatest achievement was the invention of the safety air cushion that is used by fire and rescue departments to catch people jumping from buildings or heights.

In the spirit of my newly founded and appropriately named blog I shall have to weigh up the awesome and the awesomely bad about... BOUNCY CASTLES!

Awesome

Where do I begin. Well firstly with the fact that bouncy castles are designed for kids. PAH!! The bouncy castle was clearly invented by someone's dad who was trying to think of something that looks appealing to kids but was secretly one giant challenge for men! A highlight of my nephew's first birthday was watching my brother and his friends challenge each other to a game of 'who can run and jump over the castle wall and land inside'... or as I call it 'the idiot game'.

But the most awesome thing about bouncy castles is... you're all thinking it... knocking everyone down and then bouncing as hard as you can to keep them there. Let's face it who hasn't seen someone upside down, skirt over their head trying to get up like a beetle on it's back... hi - frikkin - larious!!!

Awesomely bad

To balance out the awesome to awesomely bad equilibrium...

Let's face it the worst thing about a bouncy castle is the fact that it never gets cleaned. Never. Think about that next time you face plant on to the middle of one. Children. Nappies. NEVER CLEANED... enough said!

Finally... did you know that over 4000 people per year end up in hospital with bouncy castle related injuries? And 7% of them die!!!! Those soft, bouncy, child loving & colourful castles are in fact DEATH TRAPS!

IN CONCLUSION

I hereby declare bouncy castles... AWESOME!!