When events company duo Alastair Garner and Phil Lloyd-Jones get big ideas, they really mean what they say.
Using Alastair’s family home as a back drop, they created a giant balloon display in the shape of the NHS rainbow.
And their handy-work is attracting a lot of attention.
The boys got to work at 6am on Monday and finished 14 hours later at 8pm.
And the huge rainbow has proved to be an eye-catcher for walkers, cyclists and drivers going past the house in Whittonstall, near Stocksfield, Northumberland.
“It literally took all day,” said Alastair, 25. “We basically attached fishing wire across the house from window to window and hooked it into a rainbow shape using existing hooks on the walls that were already there for electrical cables.
“We were delighted with the end result. It looks great and every time we look out of the window someone is stopping outside taking pictures.
"We’ve had drivers stopping their cars, while cyclists and walkers are taking snapshots. It has turned a few heads.”
Alastair and Phil, 23, of Westerhope, Newcastle, came up with the idea with the help of Alastair’s girlfriend Olivia Burnard, 22, as the boys’ parents are medical workers.
Alastair’s mum Linda, 60, worked as an NHS nurse and now is a private nurse looking after a little boy. While Phil’s dad, Neil, is a GP and is based at Boots in Newcastle’s Eldon Square, where there is also a travel clinic.
“Our parents work hard looking after people so we realise what a great job the NHS is doing during the coronavirus crisis - and our balloon display is in recognition of this," added Alastair.
“My girlfriend Olivia is the brains behind a lot of our business ideas and she came up with this one.”
Alastair and Phil met around 16 years ago at Newcastle School for Boys, where Alastair’s dad, Phil Garner, was headteacher.
Alastair was a keen DJ and started events company AG Events when he was 18. He went to Leeds College of Music to study music production and it helped fund him through his studies.
Phil is finishing his sports degree at Durham University and joined his friend in January to expand the business. He has been in isolation with Alastair so they can work on future business ideas.
Alastair added: “Our company does DJ events and we have photo booths, giant letters, flower walls, arcade machines and we thought we would introduce balloon displays.
“The lockdown has given us this opportunity to practice and the NHS rainbow was perfect for it.”
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