The sky stretched wide and clear over Manchester that Sunday morning, painted in strokes of pale blue and whispers of early sunlight. Birds chirped above the trees that lined the quiet street of Albany Road in Chorlton, but they were no match for the symphony of laughter, chatter, and the unmistakable rustle of excitement coming from a crowd of small children and their mothers gathered just outside the gates of Head Over Heels.
Twenty-five eager children from Heaton Mersey Independent School, boys and girls aged between five to six, who stood in colourful clusters, some bouncing on the balls of their feet, others clutching their friends' hands, and many eyeing the bright glass doors of the indoor play center with wide-eyed anticipation. Matching T-shirts in rainbow shades, each child's name printed boldly on the back, made the group look like a living rainbow ready to spill joy into the world.
