Simply Party Pieces

30/05/2026

I've been a bit behind in posting updates over the last few weeks, but that doesn't mean that nothing has been happening. We've had 3 parties, added a new backdrop to our collection which I think would look great with the bright kit, and have 2 quotes in the works. Busy busy busy.

25/04/2026

With warmer days just around the corner has anyone started thinking about summer parties? Has anyone already started planning summer events for schools or clubs? We've hired out several kits to PTAs and people organising street parties over the last couple of years. It's a great way to demonstrate to children how reusables are so much better for the environment than throw away items as there's much less rubbish after each event. Everything comes neatly boxed up and at the end of the event you just pop it all back in the box and we do all the washing up. We have different coloured kits for different themes and matching bunting to give the event a lovely splash of colour. And with kits for up to 150 people we can provide for small or large occasions.

16/03/2026

Pleeease talk to me about party bags. As a parent I hate having to organise this for a party.
- I hate buying packs of things in multiples of 10's when I don't need that many.
- I hate that it can be hard to get away from the throw away culture of plastic things that break so easily.
So, would there be any interest in pre-made party bags? You could choose from a selection of things that would include something crafty (like a wooden shape or animal to colour in) something edible (like chocolate buttons or something similar/age appropriate), something useful like a patterned pencil and rubber or a pretty coloured pen and something to help the environment (like some paper made with seeds for planting). These are just a few ideas I've had so far. You're welcome to add more suggestions if you'd like. You could choose how many items go in the bags and the price would be adjusted accordingly. If you're including birthday cake in the party bag you could skip the edible element. I'd aim to buy things in bulk to keep the cost down, and each bag would be made of paper rather than plastic.

This is something I'd do alongside the party kit hire but it would be available to everyone regardless of whether they hire a kit or not.

What do you think?

15/03/2026

We had two party kits go out this weekend, that's 137 reusable items that helped our environment and brought a bit more colour to someone's special day.

07/03/2026

We had a clear out of the kids shoes last week and sent 6 pairs to Sal's shoes. They were all good quality and the sparkly ones were still very much loved. But our eldest was happier parting with them knowing they were going to another child who needed them. She even wrote a little note to go with them that they published so she knew they'd arrived. They'll then be sent to any number of countries to a child in need of them.
I thought I'd post the link here in case anyone would find it useful.

DONATE YOUR PRELOVED SHOES Sal's Shoes Children tend to outgrow their shoes before they outwear them and shoes are relatively difficult to recycle, so ...

08/02/2026

Look at this lovely backdrop. Tomorrow's job is to get it ironed and stored away ready for the next hire.

It will look especially nice with the pink, yellow and green plates and cups from the pastel set and some of our pastel or floral bunting.

23/01/2026

What a lovely splash of colour the bright kit brings during these grey, wet days. This is our first hire of the year and is going to a repeat customer.
We have already quoted for events in February and March, and have parties confirmed in March and April.
It's so nice to see people utilising reusable items. ♻️

09/01/2026

It's been soo cold. So how about some spring colours to cheer us up? Perfect for a tea party or a spring get together; all of our tablecloths and bunting are washed and ironed before being hired out and they bring a real splash of colour to any room (or garden).

31/12/2025

Happy New Year to all of our followers - and what a year it has been.

We have now saved more than 8,000 single use items from being sent to landfill. We've provided plates, cups, bowls, cutlery, jugs, platters, backdrops, bunting and more. We've worked on private parties and community events.

And we tried as best we could to be part of a circular economy. This means that the money that you spent on hiring from us stayed within our local community. This year we had a big family celebration, we used the pastel kit for a party of 73 people, and the money that was paid for hires this year was spent on hiring Scrumptious Bakery to cater the event. The food was lovely, and Belinda was amazing throughout the evening despite several challenges (the main one being one of the ovens not working on the day). But she was calm, professional and provided an excellent service. I on the other hand was panicking about how we'd serve hot food 70+ people with only 1 oven, but she handled it perfectly.

So, as we head into a new year, I wish you all good health and happiness. And I look forward to saving the next 1,000 items from landfill.

26/11/2025

Taking a little step away from the reusable party ware front but discussing a subject that is arguably more important, because if this is allowed to go ahead it will have a catastrophic effect on most of us
- our local wildlife
- our children's education
- the infrastructure of the town and surrounding villages
- the air quality of the town

This is just the beginning - The proposed plan to build an initial 480 houses on the Shillingford Road is irresponsible on so many different levels. But before we get into that, let's just point out that another developer has already bought land next to the proposed site, and if Croudace get their approval, the second developer will put in a further plan and the site will go from the proposed 480 new homes up to 1000 new homes.
This development raises a lot of valid concerns, and not just about the devastating effect it would have on the wildlife, and the fact that it would literally be built on my back yard, but here are some more to consider.

The water system for the town won't cope with the extra housing, and it can't be upgraded to do so.

The new doctor's surgery that has received planning permission and is set to get under way has only been done so with the current housing estates in mind, it will not cope with the additional people from this estate.

The increase in traffic over the two bridges at either end of town would be awful and affect the air quality.

It's worth noting that this proposed site goes against our local neighbourhood plan and the National Planning Policy Framework, which both work in our favour. So if you can object to it it really will help.
I cannot stress how badly this will affect our lovely market town and the surrounding villages. So I've copied a piece from a neighbour who can put it far more eloquently than I.
He focuses on the education side of the proposal, but if you are keen to know more please please search on Piper or Wallingford Matters under Love Wallingford Stop the Sprawl and you'll see several well informed posts about this development. This won't just affect pupils currently at the school, it will affect our children. So please have a read and object if you can, you don't have to be a resident of Wallingford to object.

Here is what someone much more informed than I am had to say on the matter -

I think it maybe worthwhile reminding parents with children at Wallingford School how the fate of the school is inextricably linked to the proposed Croudace housing development on the Shillingford Road. To gain planning approval, the developer recognises the need to be compliant with the educational requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework which emphasises the importance of ‘providing sufficient choice of early years, school and post-16 places to meet the needs of new communities.’ Currently, for secondary education this is not achievable as Wallingford School is at capacity. To overcome this major obstacle the developer has proposed a further expansion of the school, however, due to lack of space, the expansion will utilise the existing school playing fields. In return, the developer initially proposed the provision of a playing field area on the new development. However, the most recent plans now show these playing fields being shared with other facilities such as the archery club, a skateboard park and a 'teenage play area'. It is planned that access will be by having to walk over 500 metres from the school alongside the busy Shillingford Road. The developer regards this access as being safe but I would suggest it should seriously concern all parents with children at the school

Currently, the school has promised a response, but in the meanwhile they have been made fully aware of the serious problems that will manifest themselves should they acquiesce, for no good reason, to the demands of the developer. These include but not limited to;

The safety of all children having to use these off site playing fields will be put at risk by having to walk alongside a busy road;

Valuable educational time for both children and staff will be lost in travelling between sites;

There is a possible legal risk for the school should an accident occur as children have knowingly and for no good reason been removed from the current self contained ‘safe’ environment to a more ‘unsafe’ one;

The school will be engaging in a scheme which directly defies the Wallingford Neighbourhood Plan.

Concerned parents can make their views known to Wallingford School or post appropriate comments before Dec 3 on the SODC planning portal at https://eform.southoxon.gov.uk/ebase/PLANNINGCOMMENT.eb?PLNGAPPL_REFERENCE=P24%2FS3481%2FO&SOVA_TAG=SOUTH&ebd=0&ebz=1_1763825398369