Surely only a fool would take on a massive bouncy obstacle course wearing a jacket and jeans with several pounds-worth of loose change, keys and a notebook stuffed in their pockets...

Well, perhaps, but in my defence I had no idea I was about to do just that when I stepped onto The Giant Inflatable at the new Jumpin Fun site in Strood last week.

The giant inflatable obstacle course at Jumpin Fun being completed by Karen and Chris

Following in the footsteps of assistant manager Karen Petrie, I'd been offered a 'quick tour' of the inflatable so I could get a few pictures for an article on the new site - and I wanted to get it done quickly, because of course there were other 'serious stories' to write back at the office, about the war in Ukraine and council planning applications and the like.

I started filming a bit of video as Karen approached a horizontal inflatable barrier, and then suddenly she was off... over the first giant roller and then disappearing under one behind it.

Left with no choice but to follow in pursuit, I tumbled over and under the barriers, admittedly less elegantly than Karen, and totally failing to keep my phone steady in an effort to film it.

Or was it more that I was simply forgetting rather than failing, lost in the sudden realisation that this was actually fun?

I didn't have too much time to ponder that point. Karen was off through a series of wobbly barriers and up an incline onto some inflatable steps.

"This ain't easy" I exclaimed at the top, starting to lose by breath - not that I'd expected it to be easy, I just hadn't expected to be doing it at all, but now it looked like I was in the for the full trip.

Next it was down a slide, through some more strange barriers, and up another inflatable climbing wall, where we came to a view point - at which point Karen peeled back some netting and it became apparent the view point was actually a jumping point.

"You go first," I said, not - and I insist not - because I was scared, but because I obviously wanted to get a decent piece of video showing Karen jumping from the vantage point.

I jumped off after her, and of course there was nothing to be scared of, barring getting momentarily enveloped by the inflatable cushion on landing and getting briefly stuck.

That was probably as much due to my lack of fitness though, and I was beginning to realise I might need to lose a few pounds.

And actually by that point I probably had lost a couple of pounds, my pockets being slightly less packed than previously.

But whatever, I was having a good time. I felt immediately less stressed, and the world outside - with its 9-5 bustle, rising fuel prices and war - suddenly seemed like a faraway, faintly ridiculous place.

So it was worth a few lost coins - and what's more there was no time to look for them, because the physical challenge wasn't over.

"You have to run up that one," said Karen next and I turned to see a slope with arrows pointing to two ledges.

Karen didn't quite make it up, but I surprised myself by just about reaching the top, perhaps assisted by increasingly clammy hands.

Having slid back down, I stood up out of breath, but there was no respite. It was onto a giant swing ball challenge, in which competitors attempt to knock each other off inflatable platforms with a blow-up wrecking ball.
My first effort knocked Karen off her platform and by this point it was apparent she was letting me win at the challenges, although of course it was more about having fun than winning.

A giant slide was up next, then a balancing beam where contestants can take each other on with inflatable combat batons - and then it was almost over.

I slipped down a final slope and swore briefly which marked the perfect time to bring my video tour to an end.

Bouncing back over to the edge of the inflatable, I was soaked in sweat, I had a couple less pounds in my pocket and I realised my notebook had vanished. But it was all worth it because Jumpin Fun - contrary to the normal rule surrounding attractions with the word 'fun' in their name - is indeed a lot of fun.

Not only that, as Karen explained, adults are just as welcome as kids to take part at Jumpin Fun, and parents often leave the building as red faced and out of breath as their children.

It certainly beats the gym - and losing something like a notebook just provides another excuse to go back round for another go to find it, which we did.

As for those lost pounds, if you find them please post to KentOnline, Medway House, Ginsbury Close, Medway City Estate, Strood, ME2 4DU, or just put it towards another ticket for Jumpin Fun.