What is your holiday must do list? How a Black Cat treasure hunt can help you in Sussex
Posted on: 14/10/2025By Tim Carter (Owner of Black Cat Treasure Hunts)
This time last year, I wrote a treasure hunt blog comparing the treasure hunt possibilities in Split, where I had just taken a short holiday, to my treasure hunts in Sussex where similar options may occur but not necessarily all in the same place. This year I have not had a holiday (I know, I know...I`m trying to hold back the tears!) but I have got one booked for next year (in Mexico..yay!..thanks for asking!). We are meeting up with two people, one of whom is Mexican, in Mexico City and they have asked, "What do you like doing?" "What sort of thing do you want to see?" Fairly reasonable questions you might think but they also made me consider whether my treasure hunts across Sussex would be able to accommodate the broad number of answers you might get to those types of questions. The answer to that is of course...it depends!
Here are some of our `requests/demands` for next year`s holiday with how that type of thing features in a Black Cat treasure hunt.
1. "We like a bit of history"...
This is easily accommodated in a Black Cat treasure hunt. Sussex has an interesting history represented in many ways across places that you can have a Black Cat treasure hunt in.
Lewes, for example, from Thomas Paine, whose writings influenced the American Revolution to a fine Norman castle and from Anne Boleyn`s (of Henry VIII`s wives fame) house to the fascinating monastery ruins, the town has so much to offer along a classic treasure hunt route.
My Hastings treasure hunt covers history in a unique way by looking at the fishing influences, think net shops and Shipwrecks Museum, which enhance the exploration and search for answers to the questions.
Eastbourne can rely on diverse historical influences with its Martello tower ready to protect the country against Napoleon to its ornate bandstand area. A musician has a plaque behind the lower seated area in recognition of playing on The Titanic. The Pier managed to feature in the film Brighton Rock because it looked more `of the era` than Brighton`s pier! All these things would be quietly inserted into a Black Cat treasure hunt.
2. "We`ve heard the street art is a must see?"...
It`s hard to look past Brighton in this respect. The musicians` mural on the Prince Albert is incredible, street artists with big reputations such as The Postman and Glimmer Twin are seen across the city from the quirky North Laine to the seafront. I love to include questions about what you can see or read in the street art whenever a treasure hunt is required in Brighton. New art is visible all the time, which could be a superhero eating a pizza, or the LGBTQ influences in Kemptown to ones celebrating local heroes. It`s also a wonderful way to use less well-known streets that a tour guide does not have time to show you.
This is not to say that Brighton is the only place for street art on a treasure hunt route. Bognor Regis has a superb David Bowie, whilst Chichester has some intriguing ones too, including a Black Cat I`m pleased to say!
3. "We`d like to go to a local music/dance show."
A Black Cat treasure hunt will endeavour to pass local music venues and references to well-known musicians. It`s a compact way to familiarise yourself with a place and make notes of where you might want to go back to.
A personalised treasure hunt or a team building treasure hunt are often going to get your team singing and dancing where appropriate as well. In Brighton there is a musicians tunnel with murals of all the singers and bands who have had an influence on the Brighton music scene. This has produced many highlights for the person marking the treasure hunt...me!
Groups from abroad bring their own unique influences to bear on a treasure hunt challenge. I give full rein to Austrian Waltz`, Dutch football dances and French Can-Can`s when and where appropriate!
4. "We`d like to see something unique about the city."
This is a definite goal of any Black Cat treasure hunt, whether it is in a village, town or city.
Rye has a steep, cobbled street with houses that have funny names. Alfriston takes in a view that inspired the hymn, `Morning Has Broken`. Worthing has pictures of Oscar Wilde and information about local lifeboats inscribed on large slabs of slate. Chichester has Roman walls. These features give endless opportunities for questions, challenges and engaging first time visitors.
Some of my Sussex treasure hunts waste no time in drawing attention to a place`s claim to fame. Bexhill is the home to British motor racing and there are numerous monuments, sculptures and plaques that enable questions about this fact. Hastings boasts of being home to where the television was invented. and although it takes a bit more time to discover how this came about, when you are pointed in the right direction you will love all the details.
5. "We would like to try the local food and drink."
Similar to covering all the special streets and must-see buildings this one is a regular requirement for tourists.
Black Cat can not only devise routes that pass a wide selection of food and drink outlets, but he can also make recommendations or send you the most appropriate website links. In personalised treasure hunts you can choose your own start and finish points. These often use a restaurant or pub as the perfect places to either set off from or to conclude whilst the marking is completed.
I like to be given the option to choose sometimes. A Brighton treasure hunt will gravitate to the beachfront bars in the Summer or the ones with the best roof top beer gardens away from the front. Quirky bars are easy to find too. Sussex towns like to mention their smuggling connections and the pubs in Alfriston have that feel of secret business going on.
This all sounds very encouraging...are there any questions...maybe more specific...of your impending trip to Mexico which you have failed to find an alternative to in one of your Sussex treasure hunts?
6. "Will we have time to see a Luche Libre?"...
Luche Libre means `free fight` and relates to the professional wrestling scene in Mexico. It is very unique and the wrestlers where colourful masks relating to their characters. There is a story element to the fight too as you can cheer the hero and boo the villain. These events are extremely popular, and you can even make or buy your own masks to wear during the fights whilst also sampling the local foods. The loser of the fight must remove their mask! Quite the humiliation.
At the moment I am not aware of anything similar on any route I have devised for Black Cat Treasure Hunts! I sincerely apologise (ha!)..so maybe I should make this a suggestion to local entertainment organisations!
Do you have `must do` things to see and do on holiday? Let me know and I will see if I can incorporate them in some way on a Black Cat treasure hunt.A personalised treasure hunt or a team building treasure hunt are often going to get your team singing and dancing where appropriate as well. In Brighton there is a musicians tunnel with murals of all the singers and bands who have had an influence on the Brighton music scene. This has produced many highlights for the person marking the treasure hunt...me!
Groups from abroad bring their own unique influences to bear on a treasure hunt challenge. I give full rein to Austrian Waltz`, Dutch football dances and French Can-Can`s when and where appropriate!
4. "We`d like to see something unique about the city."
This is a definite goal of any Black Cat treasure hunt, whether it is in a village, town or city.
Rye has a steep, cobbled street with houses that have funny names. Alfriston takes in a view that inspired the hymn, `Morning Has Broken`. Worthing has pictures of Oscar Wilde and information about local lifeboats inscribed on large slabs of slate. Chichester has Roman walls. These features give endless opportunities for questions, challenges and engaging first time visitors.
Some of my Sussex treasure hunts waste no time in drawing attention to a place`s claim to fame. Bexhill is the home to British motor racing and there are numerous monuments, sculptures and plaques that enable questions about this fact. Hastings boasts of being home to where the television was invented. and although it takes a bit more time to discover how this came about, when you are pointed in the right direction you will love all the details.
5. "We would like to try the local food and drink."
Similar to covering all the special streets and must-see buildings this one is a regular requirement for tourists.
Black Cat can not only devise routes that pass a wide selection of food and drink outlets, but he can also make recommendations or send you the most appropriate website links. In personalised treasure hunts you can choose your own start and finish points. These often use a restaurant or pub as the perfect places to either set off from or to conclude whilst the marking is completed.
I like to be given the option to choose sometimes. A Brighton treasure hunt will gravitate to the beachfront bars in the Summer or the ones with the best roof top beer gardens away from the front. Quirky bars are easy to find too. Sussex towns like to mention their smuggling connections and the pubs in Alfriston have that feel of secret business going on.
This all sounds very encouraging...are there any questions...maybe more specific...of your impending trip to Mexico which you have failed to find an alternative to in one of your Sussex treasure hunts?
6. "Will we have time to see a Luche Libre?"...
Luche Libre means `free fight` and relates to the professional wrestling scene in Mexico. It is very unique and the wrestlers where colourful masks relating to their characters. There is a story element to the fight too as you can cheer the hero and boo the villain. These events are extremely popular, and you can even make or buy your own masks to wear during the fights whilst also sampling the local foods. The loser of the fight must remove their mask! Quite the humiliation.
At the moment I am not aware of anything similar on any route I have devised for Black Cat Treasure Hunts! I sincerely apologise (ha!)..so maybe I should make this a suggestion to local entertainment organisations!
Contact me (Tim) on info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk or call me on 01323 655346. Start your personalised or bespoke treasure hunt today.
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