A Lancashire balloon artist has taken part in the biggest balloon installation to have ever been done in the United Kingdom.
Andrea Roberts owner of A Gift 4 U in Leyland but originally from the Wirral, was invited to join a talented team of the world’s best balloon artists to create an immersive Christmas wonderland out of more than 125,000 balloons in Guildford in December, to benefit the Surrey Charity Network.
Hundreds applied for the Big Balloon Build UK but only a lucky 75 were selected, including Andrea, with the event taking over the Charterhouse School’s sports centre, creating a larger-than-life, holiday-themed exhibit out of 125,000 biodegradable balloons.
Andrea said: “The experience was absolutely amazing from start to finish, despite being very exhausting.
“We arrived in the sports hall in Charterhouse School, the hall measured 12,500sqft and I couldn’t believe the size of the space we were to fill. The echo in the room was unbelievable, but after just a few hours into the build the balloons absorbed the echo.
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“We were all in teams, and only each team knew what they were building. We were all working so hard, but then if you looked up or walked out of your areas, it was just so amazing to see what was also being created around you.
“To start with we all built walls which covered the entire wall of the sports hall, and all connected as one, then we moved onto the individual pieces within our designs.
“My team built an 18ft Christmas tree, and the star on top itself was massive. We then also built the Reindeer countdown house, snowmen, lampposts, clouds and various other bits.
“On the second day we worked from 8am until just gone 10pm and I just didn’t know if it would all be finished in time.
“We were back in from 6am the Thursday morning and that was just crazy.
“We were all running around helping out all other teams with anything that needed to be finished…..but after three and a half days we did it and it was so emotional.
“The photographs and videos just don’t do it justice.”
Andrea, who opened A Gift 4 U in 2020, said there was a grand opening that evening and everyone got a chance to meet the charity beneficiaries.
The following morning the build was open for the charities to visit in a quiet environment, then the big balloon build was thrown open to the public.
Andrea went on: “The build theme was London through to the North Pole.
“It included Big Ben, shops, characters, a train, Paddington, an Elf village, a huge ski slope with a polar bear skiing down, gates through to the 18.5ft Christmas tree and reindeer countdown house, gingerbread house leading finally to a life-sized Santa and his sleigh, being pulled by his reindeer who were flying into the air.”
The total raised for the charities as a result of the Big Balloon Build UK was £10,000.
More than 125,000 bio-degradable balloons were used, and after the event finished more than 50 pieces were then donated and re-used.
Andrea added: “It was such an honour to have been involved, plus learning new techniques and skills along the way and I have met so many new friends in my ‘Balloon Family’ from around the world.”
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