Olympic retractable tunnel helps Stafford boat owners repair their craft

A retractable tunnel used to welcome athletes competing at the 2012 London Olympic and Paralympic Games is now in Stafford being used as a shelter for canal boat owners repairing their craft.

We recently supplied the 7m-long refurbished retractable tunnel, which was situated at the entrance to the Olympic Basketball Arena, to Stafford Boat Club to enable its members to carry out vital maintenance on their boats without having to endure the wind and rain.

Stafford Boat Club is situated on the Staffordshire and Worcestershire Canal in Wildwood and has 180 members. Formed in 1964, it has steadily built up a wide range of facilities, including a club house built entirely by its members, but did not have anywhere that was dry and warm where they could work on their boats during the winter – until now.

John Mountfort, commodore of Stafford Boat Club, said: “Every so often members need to take their boats out of the water to paint the hulls or mend the propellers, but we didn’t have anywhere under cover where they could do their work.

“Then one of our members suggested using a retractable tunnel as a temporary shelter, which he had seen elsewhere. We decided that would be perfect, because it could be pulled over the boats while they were being worked on and taken away afterwards.

“It was just great timing that Spaciotempo had only just got its retractable tunnels back from the Olympics when we enquired. Not only does the tunnel suit our purposes perfectly, the fact that it was used at the Basketball Arena over the summer has become a real talking point.”

The tunnel is made from PVC stretched over an aluminium frame and runs on rubber tyres. When it is not in use, it compresses to a depth of just 1m, which makes it easy to store away.

As part of a full refurbishment carried out before it was pressed into action at the boat club, the tunnel was widened by another metre to accommodate the width of the boats, with enough room for the owners to work alongside.

Scott Jameson, director of sales for Spaciotempo, said: “As part of the agreement to supply the tunnels to the Olympic Games, we agreed a buy back scheme which enabled them to meet LOCOG’s sustainability targets.

“We are really pleased that this retractable tunnel is now providing much-needed shelter for Stafford Boat Club.

“There is no doubt that the whole country benefited from a feel good factor during the Olympic and Paralympic Games and we hope that this tunnel will, in its own way, act as a souvenir of an unforgettable summer.”


http://www.spaciotempo.co.uk/

Flexible Spaciotempo Building Earns Contract Extension at Fujitsu

Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe has extended the hire of a Spaciotempo temporary building after it proved to excel in more than just the intended application.

The company originally specified the 10 x 20 x 5.2 metre, aluminium framed building on a three month rental contract at its headquarters in the West Midlands, which acts as the centre for all aspects of the European business operation. The structure was chosen to provide a secure storage and workshop facility for the refurbishment of one of its customer’s high-specification telecommunications HGVs – which effectively serves as an emergency mobile telephone exchange.

Read more at - http://www.spaciotempo.co.uk/archive-news-2011

New Tunnel Provides Revenue and Protection at Notts County FC

Coinciding with its 100th anniversary of playing at Meadow Lane, Notts County Football Club has purchased a new players’ tunnel from leading supplier Spaciotempo.

Sponsored by renowned Nottingham-based bar and restaurant group, Hooters, the bespoke tunnel clearly stands out with their trademark orange colour and distinctive logo. Situated level with the half way line and adjoining the Derek Pavis Stand it helps create a major focal point for supporters as the players enter the playing arena.

Standing 2.28m tall, 1.80m wide and 4.0m in length, the tunnel retracts back to the stadium wall to create extra space when not in use. It is manufactured from tough, flame retardant PVC on an aluminium frame and runs out smoothly on rubber tyres.

Charlotte Moore, Head of Commercial at Notts County Football Club said: “We and the sponsors are delighted with the cost, quality and visual impact of the finished product. As it provides strong branding opportunities it creates a valuable new revenue stream for the club while a further crucial feature is the protection afforded to players and officials as they are waiting to walk out on to the pitch.”

The Spaciotempo retractable tunnel concept is proving to be exceptionally popular with football clubs across all tiers of English football - from Stoke City in the Premier League, Middlesbrough and Preston North End in the Championship and Chesterfield in League One. A whole host of other clubs have either ordered new tunnels or new covers for existing tunnels as sponsors change or damage is repaired. Available in a variety of sizes, the tunnels are used for a range of applications including covered walkways to the hospitality facilities, on-site storage facilities and even to protect fans from inclement weather at the ticket offices.

http://www.spaciotempo.co.uk