From snag to showpiece: helping Hilltop Tots build a 6m x 12m Vantage space

Last week, our Operations Director Andrew and Marketing Manager Ryan pointed the van towards Staffordshire. Hilltop Tots Daycare had invested in two of our newly launched Vantage 6m x 6m Pop-Up Marquees to create a covered outdoor classroom—and hit a couple of snags putting them up. No drama. We like getting our hands dirty when it counts.

On arrival, Andrew gave both frames a once-over and carried out a few small repairs to make sure everything was absolutely sound from a health-and-safety point of view. From there, we teamed up with the Hilltop crew to raise the structures, sort the leg heights, and get the sidewalls set in the combinations they prefer for the daily flow of little feet.

The magic trick was pushing the two 6m x 6m Vantage units together and joining them with infill panels plus a gutter kit. In about the time it takes to brew and drink it, the team had turned two squares into one seamless 6m x 12m cover—72m² of weatherproof room to learn, play, and fundraise.

Hilltop Tots haven’t been at their site long, but they’re clearly busy building something special for local families. There’s a bouncy castle ready to go on the immaculate astroturf, resident goats to charm and feed, and—our favourite curveball—a recently uncovered WWII-era bomb shelter at the back that they’re converting into an underground cinema. Try explaining that to the Ofsted inspector with a straight face.

“As much as we would love to see every order and delivery go perfectly, sometimes it’s necessary to roll up your sleeves and get out on the road to personally help customers get exactly what they paid for. This was one of those occasions, we’re delighted to have assisted, and it was great to see the new marquee out in the wild, exactly as we hope our customers will use them.”
— Ryan, Marketing Manager at Gala Tent

What the day delivered

A quick fix became a full-blown setup session, and the result speaks for itself: a robust 6m x 12m covered area, properly linked, properly guttered, and tailored to how the nursery actually uses the space. In school hours, it’ll act as a flexible learning and play zone while the main building gets vital work. After hours and weekends, the plan is to host small functions and community events to help raise funds. Two clear wins from one smart purchase.

It also gave us a moment of quiet pride seeing the Vantage 6m x 6m doing exactly what it was designed to do—go up fast, stand firm, and scale without faff. Sidewalls on, sidewalls off, windows where they want them, and a weatherproof join that doesn’t drip on story time. Lovely.

“We looked all over the internet for products that were large enough, heavy duty enough, and equipped for us to erect whenever we need, quickly. When we found Gala Tent and the Vantage, we made our minds up very quickly. It does exactly what we need. Thanks for coming down, it was a great help.”
— Kieran, Hilltop Tots Daycare

Why we show up

We engineer for commercial use and we back it up with people who care. If something needs attention, we don’t hide behind emails. We get in the van. Andrew’s tweaks ensured the structures met our safety standards; the joint setup ensured the nursery got the full benefit of buying two large-format pop-ups; and the sidewall combinations were configured with Hilltop’s team so they can adjust them in seconds, day to day.

About Gala Tent

We’re an ISO-accredited manufacturer with a reputation for building some of the strongest, most dependable marquees and pop-up shelters in the UK. The Vantage range is the latest chapter in that story—serious kit for people who need speed, strength and longevity without a building site in tow. And when you need the personal touch, you get it. No script. No runaround. Just specialists who’ll help you solve the problem in front of you.

Thinking about creating covered learning space, an outdoor classroom, or a community event area of your own? Give us a call, ping us on live chat, or drop an email. Tell us what you’re trying to achieve and we’ll help you build it—properly.