Our folding chairs are white, adult-sized Lifetime commercial-grade chairs, £3 each for the day (£1.80 for a second day, or £1.35 extra overnight). We have 50 of them, and they work indoors or out, on a hall floor, a patio or the lawn.
What are they like?
They have a moulded plastic seat and back on a powder-coated steel frame, so they wipe clean and are made for indoor or outdoor use. Each chair is about 47.5cm wide, 58cm deep and 86cm tall, and weighs around 5kg. The maker rates each one to 226kg (500lb). They fold flat and stack, so 50 of them take up very little room until you need them.
Two hires in September
In September we took all 50 chairs to the Runjeet Singh Gallery on Chandos Street in Leamington for an art viewing. That was the chairs on their own, with nothing else booked. A single chair can't be hired by itself, because anything under £50 needs to go with other items, but a bigger order like that is fine as long as it clears the £110 minimum for Leamington, and 50 chairs came to £150.
The same month, a party in Southam booked 18 folding chairs with six 6ft trestle tables (£9 each, seating six adults apiece), four children's square tables (£4) and 16 children's chairs, eight blue and eight lime green (£2 each). The folding chairs were for children from about four upwards and some of the adults. That order came to £156.
When they're not the right chair
Two things to know. On soft or wet grass the legs can sink in, so after a lot of rain they're happier on paving or indoors. And the seat height isn't right for children under four, which is what our children’s chairs are for (ages 2 to 6).
Do we set them out?
Usually not. We drop them off folded and stacked, because most of the time the floor needs to stay clear while the tables, food or castle go in first. Once everything else is in place, they just unfold and they're ready.
I'm Luke, and I deliver them myself. We've been doing this since 2011, starting with a single castle at St Peter's in Wellesbourne.
Covers and shelter
Table covers for the trestles are £3 each. If you need shelter too, the Gazebo Set has a 3m x 6m gazebo with three tables and 18 chairs, and wants roughly 5m x 8m of flat grass. A 3m x 3m gazebo takes one table and six chairs at most. You'll find the rest of the seating under tables and chairs.
Delivery is free; each town or village just has its own minimum spend. You pay £25 to book the date and settle up a fortnight beforehand. More than 400 customers have left us five-star reviews. Tell me your date and how many guests you're seating, and I'll check the chairs are free.