Two and a half months into lockdown and I got to wondering what I had achieved in my enforced spare time. Had I learnt to play a musical instrument?..No. Had I learnt a foreign language?..No. Had I managed to do more than 20 keepy- uppies with a toilet roll?..No! What I have almost completed though is my version of one of those books you may have read when you were younger when you chose which way the story developed by making choices at the bottom of the pages.
Look out in a few years for the adventures of Jamie (or JC) and his school football teammates. Aimed at 8-12 year olds the reader influences what Jamie gets up to on and off the pitch. You can even decide who is going to take the penalty! Before `all good bookshops` get to sell this, as it does take a while to get through all the production stages, the whole idea set me off at a slightly different tangent.
With virtual quizzes, Zoom meetings and house parties the time felt right for an interactive, virtual treasure hunt book. Based on Black Cat`s knowledge of Brighton he will be writing a mystery adventure that you and your family can read together and see if you can solve the clues to discover what has happened. Explore Brighton and maybe follow the Black Cat at the same time! As with the story mentioned above there will be choices to make. Make the right ones and you will not only follow a great treasure hunt route, but you will uncover all the surprises and work out the mysterious events too. There are five different endings and if you get things badly wrong you could land up miles from where you should be and return home without ever knowing what might have been! It will take a few months before the story can be launched on the website, but for now try a few pages below: The Brighton Black Cat Mystery: A tale(or tail!) of intrigue.
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It was a blazing hot day when the Watson family had left home. The train journey had been stifling too, especially with most of the seats taken. Simon, the father, was reading a guide to Brighton and occasionally mentioning possible highlights of the forthcoming visit. "Quirky North Laine...spectacular Royal Pavilion...historic top attraction,The Lanes....the one and only Brighton Pier....the bustling seafront with the artists quarter and fishing museum...the amazing, ascending i360 tower."
If he was being honest he would accept that no-one was really listening to him. His wife, Kate had rattled off a cryptic crossword and was now on a Sudoku whilst his two daughters were also successfully ignoring him.
Jenna was reading a thriller whilst Jade was listening to music on her headphones. His eight year old son, Jack, had been playing a `spotting` game out of the window, but was now a little impatient.
"Can we go straight to the Pier when we get there dad?"Jenna was reading a thriller whilst Jade was listening to music on her headphones. His eight year old son, Jack, had been playing a `spotting` game out of the window, but was now a little impatient.
"We will go there, but maybe not immediately. The train station seems to be a bit of a way from the seafront." replied Simon casually.
Jenna at 12 years old was the middle child and slipped off her headphones as the train pulled in at the station before Brighton."Have you found some vegetarian cafes in your `amazing`guide?"
"Brighton seems to have everything Jenna. I`m sure there will be." replied Simon, not quite picking up on Jenna`s sarcastic use of the word amazing.
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Page 2
"Can you let mum show us round. Your book looks like it has seen better days."
"Nothing wrong with this guide Jenna. It`s very up to date. I think Casper (the family dog) might have got hold of it last year, that`s all."
Jenna had put her headphones back on so that she did not have to hear the whole reply. One thing that none of the family had noticed though was the fact that every single person in their carriage had got off at London Road, the last stop, or if they had no-one mentioned it.
The train curved round towards Brighton station, looking down on large swathes of terraced housing.An impressive sight and yet still hiding the adventures to come.
Kate completed her Sudoku and then stood up to gather her shoulder bag from the rack above the seats."Ok, everyone. Time for fun. Get your stuff together. Jack , don`t forget your water."
The train slowed and came to a halt at platform eight over what was the far side of the station if you were leaving Brighton, but the first platform for arriving trains such as this.
As the family got off the train they were greeted, if that is the right word, by an eerie silence. The only sound that you could hear if you really tried was a bird flying about high up above in the rather ornate, Victorian ironwork. Jade was the first to ask the obvious question that the others seemed to want to ignore."Where is everyone? I don`t like this." she said in a small voice.
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Page 3
Plenty of light normally came through the glass panels in the roof, but seemingly from no-where clouds had turned the forecourt area noticeably dark. Most of the electric lights had failed and emergency lights had come on. "I`m not sure love." replied Simon more uncertainly than you would hope from someone who was so buoyant in mood ten minutes earlier.
"Can we go to the Pier now dad?" asked Jack, who was looking up at Simon imploringly.
"Not yet Jack. I think we need to find out what`s happened."
"Can`t we just head for the main shopping centre. Surely that will be where everyone is? asked Jenna, irritably.
Kate spoke now for the first time since the family had got off the train, but by not being the first to do so meant she was more considered and understanding of what should happen. "We must keep together. If you see anything else unusual let me or dad know straight away.I`m sure there`s a simple explanation.There`s a cafe over there. Someone`s bound to know."
As the family walked slowly into the middle of the station there was a noise and a small movement over in the far corner.
"I think it was a black cat." shrieked Jade,"How lovely. Let`s follow that instead."
Time for your first decision. If you think it best to ask at the cafe as Kate mentioned; which is inside the station, then go to page 4. If you want to follow the black cat out of the station as Jade has suggested then go to page 5.
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Page 4
The family decided to head left first of all into the cafe in the corner. From the outside it looked small and unremarkable, but Kate was determined to get some help on what they should do before they went any further into the city.
Kate pushed the door open slowly as the others followed single file. "Hello?Anyone there?"
There was no reply, but Kate went in anyway. Half drunk cups of tea and coffee and plates with partly eaten sandwiches and pastries were strewn on the rustic looking wooden tables. Up in the top left hand corner of the room was a television with a sign above it saying train departures, but the screen was fuzzy with a mass of black and white dots. On the floor was a newspaper with its pages blown to different parts of the room.
The rest of the family had followed Kate in by now.
"Where is everyone, there is not even anyone serving on the counter." observed Simon, but stating a rather obvious point.
"We should have followed the cat." mumbled Jade rather disappointedly.
Jenna had been picking up the newspaper and suddenly exclaimed "Look at this! This newspaper is from 75 years ago. Let`s read through it and see if there are any clues as to what is going on."
Almost at the same time Kate had picked up a torn piece of paper which Jack read out loud. "Help us Nelson.."
Continue on page 6.
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Page 5
"Yes! Yes! Let`s follow the cat. Maybe it will take us to the pier." Jack shouted.
"I suppose it can`t do any harm. There`s nothing going on in here." admitted Simon.
The family walked together silently to start off with, but then passed a piano in the middle of the station. "Maybe I should play a little tune to wake everyone up in this place." added Simon.
"No dad! There`s no-one here anyway. I thought we were going with the cat." replied Jade desperately.
Kate had gone a little ahead as the others glanced at the piano. "Are you sure you saw a cat Jade? Come and have a look at these plaques. They are all about how many people from Southern Railway lost their lives in the two world wars."
Simon sensed a chance to distract Jade from following the cat and from Jack going on about the pier. "Well this station is certainly full of surprises even if it`s not full of people. Maybe we should go out the front and see what else we can find. I`m sure there`s probably just a problem with the lights in here and everyone had to leave.We`ve got loads to do today."
As they came out the front there were about a dozen taxis queued up on the left, but with no drivers in them and no passengers waiting. Directly ahead there were also a coupe of double decker buses, but once again parked and with no driver or passengers in them.
It was Kate, although looking puzzled, who offered a solution. " I was hear a long time ago and I think if you head right from here, you can then go left down through a tunnel in front of the station. It is the best way to the North Laine that dad was talking about in the train.It was very busy there before. "
"I`m pleased someone was listening to me." smiled Simon.
Continue on page 7.
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So there you have it. Are you ready for this interactive story of mystery,intrigue and exploration and discovery? Contact Tim at info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk to receive personal notification of when this book is going to be released and downloadable from this website.
It struck me the other day, whilst discussing which film to go to, that there are many similarities (and 1 or 2 key differences) between a personalised Black Cat treasure hunt and the whole, `latest film` experience. Surprised?...don`t be ..here is the complete run down of the treasure hunt v film comparison!
1. Advance publicity/expectation: A personalised Black Cat treasure hunt of any type involves getting a group together--whether that`s for a hen party or teambuilding, and then deciding on a theme or selecting info/photos about the participants. After that stage everyone is split into teams to take part. This inevitably leads to much discussion and excited expectation as to what is going to happen on the day. Compare this to the latest Bond film, No Time To Die, and because it has been delayed and also happens to be Daniel Craig`s last film as Bond, there has clearly been a ramping up of publicity and excitement.
2. Plot: Probably the biggest difference, on the face of it, between the two. Sometimes a film is based on a book and people know the plot in advance or are intrigued to see if the film changes it or sticks closely to it. The plot (or lack of it) in a film, especially if it is a thriller genre, can often lead to a lot of discussion. A Black Cat treasure hunt does not normally have a plot, but it does have a treasure hunt route that is unknown in advance for the teams to follow as closely as possible. I mentioned `normally` a second ago and that is because Black Cat Treasure Hunts has a Murder/Mystery version that involves the teams working out the backstory/motives and the main suspect! You try and match up your version of the plot to Inspector Black Cat`s!
3. The Stars: Some people decide on which films they are going to see based on who the main star or actors are. In a treasure hunt you are the stars and can control to a large extent who is taking part or in which team you want to be and of course what happens during the hunt. The performance of a star in a film can often make or break the success of it whereas in a Black Cat treasure hunt there are parts to play for everyone and not one `role `is considered the starring role. The different roles in a treasure hunt (reading out the questions/challenges,taking photos/video clips,timing,looking out for answers) can also be swapped around during the course of it. Although a star can turn down a role they can`t swap with someone else during the film!
4. The Action- Twists and Turns: There is definitely a close tie in between the two on this heading. Film goers expect interesting action and twists and turns whichever genre of movie they are going to see. The same is true of a Black Cat treasure hunt. There are usually 5 or 6 mini challenges in a personalised treasure hunt and they are always different from hunt to hunt. The challenges have at least 3 options to them meaning teams can choose which ones to do and this leads to a lot of twists and turns...not least when it comes to the scoring. A Black Cat question can sound cryptic but is easy to answer when you are in the right place. Similarly, a piece of action in a film can often appear to be difficult to understand in terms of its significance until later on when you have seen the plot unfold.
5. Start/Middle and an End: The structure of a film, like a book, can mean introducing you to the characters at the start...enjoying the action and unfolding plot in the middle...and then seeing how everything is worked out/decided at the end. I was going to say, initially, that this quite different to a treasure hunt. However, in a number of recent teambuilding treasure hunts, because of Covid, a number of the participants had not met each other before. The event has been really helpful in introducing people to each other. The action unfolds as people work together and the end is seeing how your team has got on compared to the others.
6. Good Ending?: If I am at home watching a film then a `bad start` can mean me turning it off, but if a film is good all the way through, but has a `bad ending`(in my opinion) then it can unduly spoil my assessment of the film as a whole.This is not so true of a treasure hunt where the enjoyment tends to build as it goes along when those taking part fully understand the style of the hunt and what is required. A `bad ending` in a treasure hunt could be that your team does not win, but I really can`t remember this being a factor even amongst very competitive people.The reason being that Black Cat puts the emphasis on fun, everyone contributing, and an element of subjective scoring at the end adding to the banter.
7. Discussion Afterwards: A good film should lead to you and your friends/family having a discussion about it afterwards or maybe looking on-line to see how well other people and critics rated it. Black Cat`s treasure hunts finish at a place of your choice or our recommendation. A bar or accommodation lounge or cafe for example can be the venue for a lot of laughs as photos and video clips taken are compared and provide lasting memories.Scores can be debated with a little presentation to all the teams.A film might win an Oscar, but the prizes for taking part in a Black Cat treasure hunt will stay with you forever!
Want your treasure hunt to be every bit as good as an epic film then contact me (Tim) on info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk to get your booking started.
1. Advance publicity/expectation: A personalised Black Cat treasure hunt of any type involves getting a group together--whether that`s for a hen party or teambuilding, and then deciding on a theme or selecting info/photos about the participants. After that stage everyone is split into teams to take part. This inevitably leads to much discussion and excited expectation as to what is going to happen on the day. Compare this to the latest Bond film, No Time To Die, and because it has been delayed and also happens to be Daniel Craig`s last film as Bond, there has clearly been a ramping up of publicity and excitement.
2. Plot: Probably the biggest difference, on the face of it, between the two. Sometimes a film is based on a book and people know the plot in advance or are intrigued to see if the film changes it or sticks closely to it. The plot (or lack of it) in a film, especially if it is a thriller genre, can often lead to a lot of discussion. A Black Cat treasure hunt does not normally have a plot, but it does have a treasure hunt route that is unknown in advance for the teams to follow as closely as possible. I mentioned `normally` a second ago and that is because Black Cat Treasure Hunts has a Murder/Mystery version that involves the teams working out the backstory/motives and the main suspect! You try and match up your version of the plot to Inspector Black Cat`s!
3. The Stars: Some people decide on which films they are going to see based on who the main star or actors are. In a treasure hunt you are the stars and can control to a large extent who is taking part or in which team you want to be and of course what happens during the hunt. The performance of a star in a film can often make or break the success of it whereas in a Black Cat treasure hunt there are parts to play for everyone and not one `role `is considered the starring role. The different roles in a treasure hunt (reading out the questions/challenges,taking photos/video clips,timing,looking out for answers) can also be swapped around during the course of it. Although a star can turn down a role they can`t swap with someone else during the film!
4. The Action- Twists and Turns: There is definitely a close tie in between the two on this heading. Film goers expect interesting action and twists and turns whichever genre of movie they are going to see. The same is true of a Black Cat treasure hunt. There are usually 5 or 6 mini challenges in a personalised treasure hunt and they are always different from hunt to hunt. The challenges have at least 3 options to them meaning teams can choose which ones to do and this leads to a lot of twists and turns...not least when it comes to the scoring. A Black Cat question can sound cryptic but is easy to answer when you are in the right place. Similarly, a piece of action in a film can often appear to be difficult to understand in terms of its significance until later on when you have seen the plot unfold.
5. Start/Middle and an End: The structure of a film, like a book, can mean introducing you to the characters at the start...enjoying the action and unfolding plot in the middle...and then seeing how everything is worked out/decided at the end. I was going to say, initially, that this quite different to a treasure hunt. However, in a number of recent teambuilding treasure hunts, because of Covid, a number of the participants had not met each other before. The event has been really helpful in introducing people to each other. The action unfolds as people work together and the end is seeing how your team has got on compared to the others.
6. Good Ending?: If I am at home watching a film then a `bad start` can mean me turning it off, but if a film is good all the way through, but has a `bad ending`(in my opinion) then it can unduly spoil my assessment of the film as a whole.This is not so true of a treasure hunt where the enjoyment tends to build as it goes along when those taking part fully understand the style of the hunt and what is required. A `bad ending` in a treasure hunt could be that your team does not win, but I really can`t remember this being a factor even amongst very competitive people.The reason being that Black Cat puts the emphasis on fun, everyone contributing, and an element of subjective scoring at the end adding to the banter.
7. Discussion Afterwards: A good film should lead to you and your friends/family having a discussion about it afterwards or maybe looking on-line to see how well other people and critics rated it. Black Cat`s treasure hunts finish at a place of your choice or our recommendation. A bar or accommodation lounge or cafe for example can be the venue for a lot of laughs as photos and video clips taken are compared and provide lasting memories.Scores can be debated with a little presentation to all the teams.A film might win an Oscar, but the prizes for taking part in a Black Cat treasure hunt will stay with you forever!
Want your treasure hunt to be every bit as good as an epic film then contact me (Tim) on info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk to get your booking started.
Written By Tim Carter (Owner of Black Cat Treasure Hunts)
We`ve reached that time of year where, unless you are directly involved with delivering Christmas, like those in the postal service, supermarket workers, meals/entertainment, Father Christmas etc, your mind might start to wander forward to next year. Which treasure hunt should I do in 2024? Is there anywhere in Sussex that writes properly personalised, hen party treasure hunts? I wonder what I need to do to arrange a treasure hunt for my colleagues Spring or Summer, team building awayday?
The answer to this depends on your ambitions for the upcoming year. Maybe you need something to kickstart a New Year`s resolution to improve your general health and fitness. A treasure hunt is the ideal way to take your mind off the fact that you can cover a nice distance whilst taking part in something fun and that can be done at your own pace. The Chichester Highlights treasure hunt and the Brighton Highlights treasure hunt are the longest ones and will take about 1.5 hours to complete. The Rye treasure hunt is shorter, but involves good exercise going down and then back uphill to complete a circular route. All the treasure hunts that are downloadable from the website are of course designed to engage your mind and keep you entertained on route.
During the second half of this year, Black Cat Treasure Hunts introduced its Cluedo treasure hunt, to be used in a contained area as opposed to a town or City. Ardingly`s South of England showground and Haywards Heath`s Beech Hurst Gardens were ideal, but in theory a hotel or a museum could be perfect too. Share your team building schedule with me and you could be on to something memorable!
If you are planning an outing or a stay in Arundel or Chichester then I can tell you there is exciting development work underway in terms of authentic tours to those two places. An accompanied Black Cat treasure hunt will be part of this with launches due around May.
Getting Married or Just Been Appointed Maid of Honour?
Making a wedding personalised is the essence of that perfect day. Is the dress exactly what you want? Are the flowers going to complement the ceremony venue and reception? Will your hen party set the right tone for your celebrations ahead? On this last question (I`m afraid I can`t help with wedding dresses, although I do know someone who creates bridal flower arrangements as it happens!), Black Cat is ready to step up and be at your service. The Maid of Honour is often tasked with the job of putting a seamless hen weekend together. Not as easy as it sounds, but you can make it easier on yourself.
We`ve reached that time of year where, unless you are directly involved with delivering Christmas, like those in the postal service, supermarket workers, meals/entertainment, Father Christmas etc, your mind might start to wander forward to next year. Which treasure hunt should I do in 2024? Is there anywhere in Sussex that writes properly personalised, hen party treasure hunts? I wonder what I need to do to arrange a treasure hunt for my colleagues Spring or Summer, team building awayday?
I hear your enquiries and concerns and I am going to re-assure you that by reading on below you will be one step ahead of the game come 2024.
Which treasure hunts will be `hot` in 2024?
Which treasure hunts will be `hot` in 2024?
The answer to this depends on your ambitions for the upcoming year. Maybe you need something to kickstart a New Year`s resolution to improve your general health and fitness. A treasure hunt is the ideal way to take your mind off the fact that you can cover a nice distance whilst taking part in something fun and that can be done at your own pace. The Chichester Highlights treasure hunt and the Brighton Highlights treasure hunt are the longest ones and will take about 1.5 hours to complete. The Rye treasure hunt is shorter, but involves good exercise going down and then back uphill to complete a circular route. All the treasure hunts that are downloadable from the website are of course designed to engage your mind and keep you entertained on route.
During the second half of this year, Black Cat Treasure Hunts introduced its Cluedo treasure hunt, to be used in a contained area as opposed to a town or City. Ardingly`s South of England showground and Haywards Heath`s Beech Hurst Gardens were ideal, but in theory a hotel or a museum could be perfect too. Share your team building schedule with me and you could be on to something memorable!
If you are planning an outing or a stay in Arundel or Chichester then I can tell you there is exciting development work underway in terms of authentic tours to those two places. An accompanied Black Cat treasure hunt will be part of this with launches due around May.
Getting Married or Just Been Appointed Maid of Honour?
Making a wedding personalised is the essence of that perfect day. Is the dress exactly what you want? Are the flowers going to complement the ceremony venue and reception? Will your hen party set the right tone for your celebrations ahead? On this last question (I`m afraid I can`t help with wedding dresses, although I do know someone who creates bridal flower arrangements as it happens!), Black Cat is ready to step up and be at your service. The Maid of Honour is often tasked with the job of putting a seamless hen weekend together. Not as easy as it sounds, but you can make it easier on yourself.
If you have established that a treasure hunt will be of interest to the bride-- after all it is a great way to explore a new place whilst having fun with people you may or may not know too well up to that point--then you should be advised that Black Cat Treasure Hunts will assist you in taking it to the next level. Ideas for a broad selection of information and photos about and of the bride to be will be suggested and then cunningly integrated into a selection of the mini challenges, questions and general presentation of the treasure hunt. A morning or afternoon is therefore easily sorted and Black Cat himself is available if required to be in attendance on the day to organise the start of the treasure hunt and to do the marking/judging at the end. As the Maid of Honour, it will be nice to take part rather than worrying about the organisation the whole time.
Team Building Event vs Christmas Meal/Celebrations.
However you or your company are arranging your December event to celebrate Christmas, I am predicting that a large percentage of these days/nights out will be held inside. As you finish your first glass of Prosecco or consume your last mince pie before considering which song you will `own` at the karaoke or party happening later, then I ask you to write down the following (and keep it somewhere safe) before you lose it...
Spring/Summer teambuilding event...outside...involve everyone...go to Brighton...treasure hunt organised and personalised by an outside company...yeah..contact that Black Cat Treasure Hunts... info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk
If you do that and you didn`t win the Employee of the Month award at any time during 2023, I guarantee it will be `in the bag` for you during 2024. You`re welcome!
Happy Christmas,
Tim
(Black Cat treasure Hunts)
Team Building Event vs Christmas Meal/Celebrations.
However you or your company are arranging your December event to celebrate Christmas, I am predicting that a large percentage of these days/nights out will be held inside. As you finish your first glass of Prosecco or consume your last mince pie before considering which song you will `own` at the karaoke or party happening later, then I ask you to write down the following (and keep it somewhere safe) before you lose it...
Spring/Summer teambuilding event...outside...involve everyone...go to Brighton...treasure hunt organised and personalised by an outside company...yeah..contact that Black Cat Treasure Hunts... info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk
If you do that and you didn`t win the Employee of the Month award at any time during 2023, I guarantee it will be `in the bag` for you during 2024. You`re welcome!
Happy Christmas,
Tim
(Black Cat treasure Hunts)
Ok...so January is cold and the forecast for February is even worse. You wanted snow for Christmas but didn`t get it, now it will only disrupt your plans in the next month or two. Maybe you get paid monthly and this is a long month after you got paid early in December. What else is not to like about January? Well..the start of January sees the day when most unwanted Christmas presents are returned..if you are at school you will be returning there after that non Chrismassy week in January and if you are a student there`s a good chance you will cop some exams as soon as you return to University this month.
Remind me again why the title of this Blog is as it is? It`s a time of hope and renewal, ambition and resolve. Sounds like the start of a speech from a famous King or politician! To be honest January really is the best time to plan ahead, to book something fun,to get a sense of anticipation and expectation flowing through your body. January is the time to enlist the help of someone else to present a creative, fun, value for money activity that will earn you eternal credit in your family, workplace or circle of friends.
Black Cat Treasure Hunts has made the following New Year`s resolution, which we are excellent at keeping , to ensure your January could be the best it has ever been!
***We promise to respond within a maximum of 24 hours to any booking request about personalised treasure hunts for hen parties,teambuilding events, birthday/anniversary celebrations, office awaydays or any other events that you have thought of. Our proposals will inspire you and bring a smile to your face and will have you shouting "January is such a great month...bring on the rest of the year!"*
Remind me again why the title of this Blog is as it is? It`s a time of hope and renewal, ambition and resolve. Sounds like the start of a speech from a famous King or politician! To be honest January really is the best time to plan ahead, to book something fun,to get a sense of anticipation and expectation flowing through your body. January is the time to enlist the help of someone else to present a creative, fun, value for money activity that will earn you eternal credit in your family, workplace or circle of friends.
Black Cat Treasure Hunts has made the following New Year`s resolution, which we are excellent at keeping , to ensure your January could be the best it has ever been!
***We promise to respond within a maximum of 24 hours to any booking request about personalised treasure hunts for hen parties,teambuilding events, birthday/anniversary celebrations, office awaydays or any other events that you have thought of. Our proposals will inspire you and bring a smile to your face and will have you shouting "January is such a great month...bring on the rest of the year!"*
Contact us on info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk or call 07445818996 to get the ball rolling. Like a bit of social media browsing whilst you wait for our reply then check out our Facebook,Instagram and twitter accounts for all the latest.
Written by Tim Carter (owner of Black Cat Treasure Hunts)
The Chinese New Year starts in February and 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. I am particularly excited as my birth year is a Tiger year..I guess it was the closest I could get to a cat! It got me thinking though as I began to wonder whether there were any characteristics shared by those who like treasure hunts.
You will be pleased to know I did some exhaustive checking..well I had a browse at my laptop whilst the football was on the other night.I looked at the birth years of the 168 most recently subscribed members of Black Cat Treasure Hunts.I did find a clear leader and clearly one in last. As there are twelve animals of the Chinese Zodiac (like our 12 signs)I was expecting each one to have 14 treasure hunters.Not so! Only two had exactly that number mainly because comfortably out in front were those born in the Year of the Goat, whilst lagging behind were those from the Year of the Horse.
Goat Years include 1943,1957,1969,1991,2003 and 2015. Are any of those your year of birth? I then investigated what the typical attributes of the different animal signs were. Apparently people from Goat years are strongly creative and show high levels of perserverence.Goat people (sorry..that sounds a bit odd!) are also friendly and sympathetic. To me this sounds the perfect make up for a good treasure hunter. Black Cat Treasure Hunts always aims to write clues and challenges that will be seen as creative and,indeed, it always pays to perservere to find the answers that are hard to see in order to get the highst score.As a Black Cat treasure hunt is often done in a team or as a group or maybe as a family I also feel that a goat being friendly and sympathetic to the less talented treasure hunter is also a desirable approach!
I can see you are getting interested in my theory now. In second place, just ahead of most of the others, were those born in Rat years. (1948,1960,1972,1984,1996,2008).Words/phrases used to describe rats were ambitious, worked hard to achieve goals,charming and talkative. On refection I felt these would be ideal characteristics for those taking part in one of our competitive or team building treasure hunts.
And down the bottom?..for the moment anyway...were those from Horse years. I know, I know, I couldn`t believe this either. Maybe they gallop ahead too quickly without looking properly!? No..according to my sources they love parties and entertainment and are naturally good speakers.They can talk too much and like their independence as well. Mmm ok..it`s all making sense...I think I am on to something. Horse years for your reference are 1954,1966,1978,1990,2002 and 2014.
Which Chinese animal sign are you born under? Do you believe in these findings or is it just a load of mumbo jumbo? I think I will have to look at star signs next and see if there is a good match up. Until next time I wish you happy treasure hunting whichever Chinese animal sign you are.
Why would a company choose to sponsor something? How is it going to benefit them directly?
At the highest level it would mean regular exposure and mentions on a wide selection of media, most notably on television. At a local level it can be seen as a goodwill gesture to raise the profile of a company within that area.
Timing can be important and an opening of a new site or venue can often attract sponsorship from companies wishing to be involved in the reflected interest at a specific time of year.
Sponsorship can also be specific. Trophies in sports events are regularly sponsored and allows their sponsor a lot of positive coverage as they are linked to healthy and positive endeavours. Away from hard core commercialism will be organisations with charitable status that link to companies that have been successful in the same line of work. For example animal care charities look to involve market leader pet foods or accessory providers looking to maintain their market leader position through the positive, proactive nature of their sponsorship.
Bigger firms will have a portfolio of sponsorship`s that best represent them in different parts of the country and ensure their name is kept in the public eye and consciousness. Indeed the buzz phrase of `increased footfall` is essential when sponsors draw new people to a particular location and maybe notice them for the first time.
This is all very interesting, but how can a treasure hunt be of interest to a company looking to spend their marketing/sponsorship budgets wisely? Well...consider for a moment groups of people being taking along a certain route, maybe for the first time,stopping outside targeted places. Hen or birthday parties for example could be led into a particular pub,cafe or restaurant at the end to celebrate. A particular clue could relate to a certain shop or involve groups of people going inside. Valuable footfall without having to do any additional advertising and the opportunity then to take over the sales process.
Black Cat Treasure Hunts can be contacted on info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk for a wide range of fun and interesting sponsorship opportunities that will cost effectively bring new customers to your door.
By Tim Carter (Owner of Black Cat Treasure Hunts)
I had not watched Mastermind on TV for ages. The other night I was at a loose end though and decided to give it a go. As you do, I started to worry about what specialist subject I would choose when I intevitably applied to go on the programme. As I struggled to come up with anything suitable I changed over to a different channel.
Later that night, however, I began dreaming I was on Mastermind for real. This is how I got on...
Name? Mr Black Cat
Occupation? Treasure hunt compiler for Black Cat Treasure Hunts.
Chosen specialist subject? The life and times of Black Cat Treasure Hunts.
Mr Black Cat you have 2 minutes...
Q1. In which year was Black Cat Treasure Hunts founded?
A1. 2012.
Correct.
Q2. Which on-line treasure hunt features a battle, a castle, an Iguanodon and a wife of Henry VIII who outlived him?
A2.
Lewes walking treasure hunt.
Correct.
Q3. On which treasure hunt did Black Cat Treasure Hunts get its` name when a black cat followed you?
A3. Alfriston walking treasure hunt.
Correct.
Q4. What theme did the office of defence lawyers choose as a theme for their teambuilding treasure hunt in Shoreditch.
A4. Famous crimes in Shoreditch.
Correct.
A5. In 2018 a company asked for a Cockney rhyming slang themed, teambuilding treasure hunt. What prize did you give to the winning team?
A5. A bag of apples and pears.
Correct.
Q6. Inside which building did you arrange a birthday treasure hunt with a Dragonball theme?
A6.
The V&A Museum in London.
Q7. What is the most number of participants you have organised for a teambuilding treasure hunt that involved 5 zones in Brighton and sending in photos via Whatsapp?
A7. 90.
Correct.
Q8. Which place has featured most hen party treasure hunts?
A8.
Brighton.
Correct.
Q9. In which city did teams have the teambuilding challenge of dressing up as Romans in togas?
A9. Chichester.
Correct.
Q10. In search of Mad Jacks Mysterious Tower is an example of what type of treasure hunt?
A10. A driving treasure hunt.
Correct.
Q11. What was the nationality of the 16 participants who met Black Cat on the side of Seaford Head golf course dressed as black and white wizards?
A11. Russian.
Correct.
Q12. Which film did a team successfully re-create to score maximum points in a video clip challenge in a teambuilding treasure hunt and (noise off: beep,beep,beep!) I`ve started so I`ll finish... what 5 `props` did they use?
A12. Titanic. Ice cubes,cups of water, a boat,7 bystanders and a plastic life ring.
Mr Black Cat your time is up. You have scored 12 points and no passes.
It was at this stage that I woke up and wondered how well my general knowledge round had gone, but relieved that I did not need another specialist subject.
If you would like have your own bespoke treasure hunt that will probably land up as a Mastermind question some time in the future then contact me (Tim) on info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk to get your booking started.
I had not watched Mastermind on TV for ages. The other night I was at a loose end though and decided to give it a go. As you do, I started to worry about what specialist subject I would choose when I intevitably applied to go on the programme. As I struggled to come up with anything suitable I changed over to a different channel.
Later that night, however, I began dreaming I was on Mastermind for real. This is how I got on...
Name? Mr Black Cat
Occupation? Treasure hunt compiler for Black Cat Treasure Hunts.
Chosen specialist subject? The life and times of Black Cat Treasure Hunts.
Mr Black Cat you have 2 minutes...
Q1. In which year was Black Cat Treasure Hunts founded?
A1. 2012.
Correct.
Q2. Which on-line treasure hunt features a battle, a castle, an Iguanodon and a wife of Henry VIII who outlived him?
A2.
Lewes walking treasure hunt.Correct.
Q3. On which treasure hunt did Black Cat Treasure Hunts get its` name when a black cat followed you?
A3. Alfriston walking treasure hunt.
Correct.
Q4. What theme did the office of defence lawyers choose as a theme for their teambuilding treasure hunt in Shoreditch.
A4. Famous crimes in Shoreditch.
Correct.
A5. In 2018 a company asked for a Cockney rhyming slang themed, teambuilding treasure hunt. What prize did you give to the winning team?
A5. A bag of apples and pears.
Correct.
Q6. Inside which building did you arrange a birthday treasure hunt with a Dragonball theme?
A6.
The V&A Museum in London.Q7. What is the most number of participants you have organised for a teambuilding treasure hunt that involved 5 zones in Brighton and sending in photos via Whatsapp?
A7. 90.
Correct.
Q8. Which place has featured most hen party treasure hunts?
A8.
Brighton.Correct.
Q9. In which city did teams have the teambuilding challenge of dressing up as Romans in togas?
A9. Chichester.
Correct.
Q10. In search of Mad Jacks Mysterious Tower is an example of what type of treasure hunt?
A10. A driving treasure hunt.
Correct.
Q11. What was the nationality of the 16 participants who met Black Cat on the side of Seaford Head golf course dressed as black and white wizards?
A11. Russian.
Correct.
Q12. Which film did a team successfully re-create to score maximum points in a video clip challenge in a teambuilding treasure hunt and (noise off: beep,beep,beep!) I`ve started so I`ll finish... what 5 `props` did they use?
A12. Titanic. Ice cubes,cups of water, a boat,7 bystanders and a plastic life ring.
Mr Black Cat your time is up. You have scored 12 points and no passes.
It was at this stage that I woke up and wondered how well my general knowledge round had gone, but relieved that I did not need another specialist subject.
If you would like have your own bespoke treasure hunt that will probably land up as a Mastermind question some time in the future then contact me (Tim) on info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk to get your booking started.
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