10-minute panic led to Lucy’s eureka moment
WHEN Lucy Bostock surprised sons Archie and Charlie with a trip to Legoland near London, the trio couldn’t wait. It would be an adventure. Eventually the day came and the boys couldn’t contain their excitement.
Right from the moment they stepped through the gates, the sea of colour captured their little imaginations.
From Vikings and pirates to dinosaurs and Pharaohs, they faced a tough choice of what to see first.
But with a chill in the air, first and foremost was to get their coats on.
Lucy bent down to help Archie with his zip. They were ready to go, but she noticed something was missing – Charlie.
She desperately called out his name. But when there was no response, panic started to set in.
It was every parent’s worst nightmare – and the longest 10 minutes of her life.
Eventually, she spotted the cheeky youngster queuing for a ride.
Lucy breathed a sigh of relief – but wondered how to keep tabs on him so they wouldn’t be separated in the crowds.
Charlie was five and hated being restrained by reins. He didn’t like wearing those straps on his wrist either.
Like every mum posed with a problem, Lucy, from Edinburgh, soon came up with a plan. She tied her scarf around Charlie’s waist and held on to the end. She later tied it on to her belt.
The makeshift restraint worked perfectly and the rest of the break went swimmingly.
But the experience sparked a lightbulb moment in Lucy’s head. She’d always wanted to come up with a product and start her own business, but everything she thought of before was already on the market. This could be it.
After endless amounts of research, surveys and having her idea made into prototypes, the Adventure Belt was born.
It’s a belt that youngsters wear and there’s a bungee cord which attaches to a belt worn by the parent.
Lucy was delighted to launch her company More-2-Explore last week – and scoop a national award for innovation.
She has no worries about losing Charlie at the shops, the park, or a theme park, and hopes her invention can give other parents the same guarantee.
All that’s left to do now, is for the Bostocks to plan their next adventure!