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Two hundred orange balloons, one white van

Yesterday Jo and I attempted our final collaborative art-shenanigan for our forthcoming exhibition on the 5th of May. The initial plan was to fill one compartment of the Manchester Wheel with orange balloons, which would surge out into the fuggy Manchester air in a flurry of colour. Jo and I assembled a crew of willing cameramen and balloon-knotters, and made our way across the city towards the giant, overpriced Ferris wheel. We set up our cameras and then tried to smuggle our massive helium canister into a carriage. We were immediately told we weren't allowed to take our large granny-bag (containing the canister) aboard the wheel.

The group retreated to rethink our tactics... We couldn't allow this to stop us completing our balloony mission. Deciding to try honesty instead of covert operations, we went back and explained what we wanted to do. The guy who appeared to be in charge seemed quite positive about our scheme, almost to the point of saying yes. He then peered up at the wheel for a moment, and told us "No, you can't do it. A balloon might get stuck up there, and that would look hideous". He wasn't bothered about us taking a high pressure gas canister on board, just how ugly balloons are. Balloons' hideous appearance is probably the main reason they are so popular for partys. We had failed. We walked away with heavy hearts and our heavy canister.

We roamed the streets, looking for an alternative location to stage our event; any monument or landmark that would suit our purposes. Then the granny-bag gave way, toppling our helium canister onto the pavement with a clang.

Oh dear, we've lost a wheel.

We then found a van in Piccadilly Gardens and filled it with balloons.

We then released all the balloons into the urban air. Blots of colour on a gray northern cityscape.

The balloons were orange.

Woo hoo! I've received my first "snailmailart" reply! A Mr James M Yield found my pimped up snail on Heaton Common in Stockport, and emailed me a photo of it. Each snail is decorated uniquley and has my website emblazened on the side. Keep an eye out for one in your town, TODAY. If you find one, visit my website zimmyis.com and email me a pic and it'll get uploaded and credited to you.

Congratulations Mr James Maize Yield, you are the first, and to me you will always be the best :)

zimmyis:blog Launch!

There will be a party to celebrate the spectacular launch of my blog, zimmyis:blog. ALL ARE WELCOME to attend! The party will commence at 11.57 today, and will continue on into the early minutes of the afternoon (I will kick everybody out at about 12.03, I've got blogging to do). If you wish to attend then bring a bottle (of whatever: wine, milk, ketchup, chloroform) and some nibbles (only home-baked twiglets accepted).

There will be queues of up to 40 mins to get in, so you need to have started queuing before I post this blog.

Stay tuned for more blogging excitment, here at zimmyis:blog! :)