13 Jul Olly The Octopus: Giant Inflatable Reaches Out In Edinburgh

Giant inflatables come in many different shapes, sizes, and forms. Sometimes their appearance is completely unexpected with many inflatable buildings, inflatable blimps and many more bespoke inflatable shapes appearing nationwide. This time round, the surprise was a very welcome one, as a giant inflatables octopus, coined “Olly”, appeared to show off his tentacles to the kids at The Royal Hospital for Children and Young People (RHCYP), in Edinburgh.

Giant Inflatable Octopus Suckers Up To The Crowd

You can rest assured, this giant inflatable may have had eight arms, but he was completely ‘armless, receiving a positive reception from staff and patients alike. This piece of giant inflatable art was organised for the grand opening of the new hospital at Little France, taking over the Sick Kids hospital on Sciennes Road. This stunt was organised to make the transition to the new site much easier for the kids who reside there, and what better way than a fun, larger than life giant inflatable animal?

Fiona Mitchell, Service Director, Women’s and Children’s Services, NHS Lothian was keen to get involved with the giant inflatable stunt, coyly stating:

“We don’t know where Olly came from but he’s extremely friendly and certainly seems to have made himself at home here at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children.”

Roslyn Neely, CEO of Edinburgh Children’s Hospital Charity was also in on the fun, saying:

“Olly has obviously heard about the tremendous care that the hospital provides and all the fun and distraction provided by our charity.

Having A Crackin’ Time With A Giant Inflatable Kraken

Staff and patients made the move to the new hospital on March 23^rd, with the process made much easier with the help of their new giant inflatable friend. The stunt itself was a tongue-in-cheek way of representing that the new complex would provide some of the safest wards in the world, with state-of-the-art facilities for both staff and patients. It was also a nod to how wrapped up all involved were with the former building, with Olly acting as a representation of how much love, care, and memories the building holds. The memories were so fond in fact, that the giant inflatable new resident also wrapped himself tightly to it, unable to bring himself to leave. The giant inflatable fish-out-of-water had his tentacles appearing from different windows of the hospital, which was an extraordinary sight. The main aim of the stunt was to bring laughter to the sick children and young people preparing to be transferred, easing their anxieties, which was absolutely successful. This was evident due to the reactions of the residents, such as Chloe age 11, who is a regular visitor to the hospital, who said:

“It’s been really lovely to have Olly’s company while staying at the Sick Kids, but I’ve heard the new hospital has a flying dragon, a bagpipe playing dog and a snoring giant, so I’m very excited to meet them. I can’t wait!”

Hire Bespoke Inflatables Today

Are you interested in having an Olly of your own? We aren’t limited to Octopi, and we at Megaflatables can create any and every design that you can think of, bespoke to your business and your personal requirements. Get in touch today and we’ll see what we can do for you.