How we chose
We started from the more than forty hire firms Google Maps shows across Telford. Inflatable safety claims were checked against the PIPA tag search and the RPII inspector search, tent-hire claims against the MUTA member search, and company records at Companies House [1] [3] [6] [8]. Each business must first meet our basic checks: it is who it says it is, it is trading today and can be reached, and anything it must hold by law is in place. Ten firms met all three. What customers say counts most toward the score, then qualifications, then whether the firm has traded for two years or more and whether its cover is stated, then pricing clarity and website detail. All evidence is dated September 2026.
How to hire
Match the hirer to the job first. Castle firms own back-garden birthdays, school fetes and fun days; stylists own weddings and venue dressing; catering, furniture, tent and tech hirers own the kit behind bigger functions. Before you enquire, write down the date, the venue, the headcount and the ages attending, because every serious hirer prices and plans from those four facts.
For any castle or slide, ask for the numbered PIPA tag and check it yourself on the PIPA website, which carries a tag-check search [1]. Larger rides may instead carry an ADIPS declaration of compliance. The HSE safety advice for hirers says to check that safety tests have been carried out and to get the operating instructions with the hire, and it sets out anchoring, supervision and wind rules you should expect the hirer to follow [2]. If the firm cannot name the tag or the paperwork behind its castles, shortlist elsewhere.
Check the people as well as the kit. RPII registered inspectors and operators carry an ID card with a licence number you can check on the RPII website [3]. For discos and entertainers working with children, ask what checks the staff who attend actually hold. Treat logos with care: TIPE is a subscription information service for hire firms, not a trade association [4], and the BIHA describes itself as an alliance of hirers rather than an accreditation body, advising you to do your own due diligence [5]. For stretch tents and marquees, search the MUTA member list for the business name [6].
Sort the practicalities before you pay anything. Measure the space, the gate it all comes through and the distance to a mains socket, since blowers need power and castles need room for stakes or ballast where pegs cannot go. Hot tubs need water, drainage and a level base, plus time to heat. If you are booking a hall, ask the venue first what paperwork it wants, because many ask for the hirer's insurance and test certificates up front.
Get the quote itemised in writing: each item, the hire date, the delivery and collection windows, any delivery or minimum-order fee, damage and cleaning charges, the cancellation and wet-weather terms, and whether VAT sits on top or inside the total, since the standard rate is twenty per cent [7]. Compare two or three quotes on the same list so you compare like with like. If something goes wrong after the event, Citizens Advice sets out your consumer options [9].
On the day, walk the setup before the children arrive: every anchor point used, mats at entries and slide exits, the blower guarded and out of reach, and the tag matching the one you checked. Keep the hire agreement showing the items, the money paid and the damage terms, with photos of the setup as it arrived. If the hirer is a limited company, its record is searchable at Companies House [8].
Pricing
As of autumn 2026, rough Telford ranges run like this: a standard back-garden castle advertises day hire around the hundred-pound mark, with an adults themed castle listed at one hundred and fifteen pounds; bigger slides climb higher, with a mega slide listed at one hundred and fifty-five pounds. Hot tubs start near one hundred and fifty pounds, with weekend castle-and-tub and multi-day packages in the low hundreds. Most castle hirers set a minimum order, around seventy pounds across central Telford postcodes.
Party extras price by the package: entertainers such as face painting run about one hundred and thirty pounds for two hours, with a hosted disco party in the mid-hundreds. Wedding styling packages run from five hundred to nine hundred and fifty pounds for full setups. Event tech hires by the week, from thirty pounds for tablets and stands to around one hundred and fifty pounds for desktop kits.
Delivery moves the total most. Some hirers deliver free inside their home postcodes and charge by distance beyond, around ten pounds across Telford postcodes or fifteen pounds and more further out, while multi-hire and multi-day discounts cut the per-item cost. Off-season discount codes and midweek deals are common outside summer. Ask whether VAT is included, since the standard rate is twenty per cent and many hire prices are quoted without it [7].
Get the scope in writing before you pay a deposit: the exact items and sizes, the delivery and collection windows, the VAT position, and what damage, extra cleaning or cancellation costs. Agree the wet-weather plan for outdoor kit and keep every quote, receipt and hire agreement together.
Red flags
Takes your date with no written booking confirmation showing the items, the fees and the delivery times.
Cannot name the numbered PIPA tag or ADIPS paperwork behind the castle your children will bounce on [1] [2].
Quotes a marquee or stretch tent with no site visit, measurements or plan for anchoring it.
Adds delivery, cleaning or damage charges you only hear about on collection day.
Asks for the full balance in cash long before the event, with no cancellation terms in writing.
Will not say who supervises the equipment or what happens in high wind.
Has no written answer when your hall asks for its insurance and safety paperwork.
The bottom line
For most children's parties, start with Fantasy Castles: one firm for castles, soft play, discos and entertainers, with prices on display and stated cover and checks. Delivery fees and VAT terms are not published, so ask for both in writing with your booking. If you would rather bundle the big kit in one order, AJS Bouncy Castle Hire is a close alternative for castles, soft play and hot tubs together.
Match the firm to the job: Liams for themed castles with online booking, Kangaroo Castles and Premier Bounce for large events, Beano's Events for wedding styling, B2B Rentals for event tech, Caltel for catering kit, Event Furniture Hire for furniture in bulk, and Illuminate FX for lighting and AV. Then get two written quotes on the same list, check the safety tags, and confirm delivery and collection times before you pay anything.
Corrections and business responses
Tell us what needs checking, or ask to claim a listing and reply to an assessment.