150 Blogs.10 Great Years of Personalised Treasure Hunts.
Posted on: 17/10/2022By Tim Carter (Owner of Black Cat Treasure Hunts)
Today is Black Cat Treasure Hunts` 150th blog! It seems right that it comes at the end of Black Cat`s 10th year of writing treasure hunts. There have been some classics over the years and this is the perfect chance not only to look back at memorable, personalised treasure hunts, but to challenge you to come forward with your best treasure hunt requests for the future.
*2012 saw the launch of Black Cat Treasure Hunts and the first hen party treasure hunt. It was no co-incidence that Brighton was the first venue for this and it was immediately apparent that a Black Cat treasure hunt was going to be the cause of hilarity. One team were attempting a YMCA dance in front of Brighton`s YMCA building, but needed one more person to help. A passer by was therefore summonsed to act as an `A` and the points were in the bag.
*2013 featured Black cat`s first venture into corporate treasure hunts. A Christmas treasure hunt for a particularly motivated and favourite group of Black Cat`s investigated the Brighton Museum and Art gallery for a snake, tracked down a rival game to Carcassone and discovered why one shop had a direct link to a top,Hollywood film.
*2014 was the year that Black Cat Treasure Hunts got a bit of a break by way of a leading London hotel chain. The company were down in Brighton for a conference and were looking for a fun activity in the late afternoon to let off steam and explore the city. The teams of hotel executives so loved their bespoke hunt that Black Cat was soon invited up to London to write a treasure hunt around the Westminster area for their guests. Seeing as Black Cat has never turned down the opportunity for a free night at a top hotel and full breakfast this was too good an opportunity to miss. This first treasure hunt outside of Sussex became a theme for later years.*2015 incorporated birthday treasure hunts with visits away from Sussex. A 50th in Tunbridge Wells and a childrens one in Hampshire. Variety in the questions and challenges was becoming the norm as the participants sent info and photos of themselves or in the case of a birthday treasure hunt, about the person who was one year older.
*2016 saw Black Cat Treasure Hunts back in Sussex in a big way and celebrating that fact by establishing a reputation away from just its `capital`, Brighton! A team building treasure hunt was held in Rye, a hen party treasure hunt was written in Eastbourne and a 70th birthday treasure hunt in Chichester. It certainly was the year when East met West. There was also a birthday treasure hunt inside the V&A museum in London.
*2017 was a year that mixed things up a bit with not only a big company treasure hunt around Bexhill, but also more intricately written treasure hunts in Brighton. One company requested a murder/mystery theme, taxis and a two venue treasure hunt landing up for a picnic/bbq in Preston Park, Brighton. Another one used an Amazing Race theme as elements of an American TV treasure hunt was used in a race across the city.
*2018 had a bit of everything. An indoor treasure hunt involving taste tests with the remarkable blind veterans, a London company down in Brighton whose organiser went on to book two more hen party treasure hunts and an after dark treasure hunt complete with a rendition of Dirty Dancing`s `lift` outside Brighton`s Theatre Royal.
*2019...After all the variety of 2018, I approached 2019 with some trepidation. I shouldn`t have worried. Only one thing to do...persuade 16 professionals from Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine (!) to visit Brighton and Seaford for a picnic near the 7 Sisters cliffs and a treasure hunt around Brighton instead of going to Cambridge. A huge international success featured amazing fancy dress, a professional photographer, hidden treasures around the city and the actual text of the treasure hunt translated into Russian.
*2020. Clearly after 2019 Black Cat was on the up and expectations had been raised for a phenomenal year ahead. Oh...we all know what happened next and although there were some good treasure hunts before and after the lockdowns, there needed to be some `pivoting`. So pivoting I did and a cross-house, indoor treasure hunt was held with unusual and wierd challenges taking place. The dog that could Salsa and the chocolate fingers tower were, I promise you, definite highlights!
*2021. The fightback against Covid was underway and some old and some new friends got involved in personalised and bespoke treasure hunts. A `Sten` party ventured to Arundel, connections were established with Connected Brighton and The Old Ship got on board (pun intended) as an excellent start/finish point for Brighton based treasure hunts. Peter James, the author, also leant his seal of approval to a themed driving treasure hunt around Sussex, based on his books.
*2022. So here we are, almost in August. I write this the day before a Murder/mystery treasure hunt for another sten party. I`m really looking forward to seeing how they get on as all 17 of them are suspects! Will they work out which one I have chosen to be the main suspect... Next month there is a driving treasure hunt from Newick to Crowborough and Hartfield for teams all in fancy dress, including Shaun the sheep and Super Mario brothers. This is especially exciting as the same group had a driving treasure hunt back in 2014 all dressed as Wacky Races characters! I`m particularly looking forward to meeting them!
*2023 onwards...If you would like to be featured in my 200th blog as a notable treasure hunt group or you have a brilliant concept for a treasure hunt that you would like me to help bring alive then I can`t wait to hear from you. Either call me (Tim) on (01323) 655346 and leave a message, and I will call you back the same day if I have not picked up immediately or, email me on: info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk and once again I will respond asap.
*2017 was a year that mixed things up a bit with not only a big company treasure hunt around Bexhill, but also more intricately written treasure hunts in Brighton. One company requested a murder/mystery theme, taxis and a two venue treasure hunt landing up for a picnic/bbq in Preston Park, Brighton. Another one used an Amazing Race theme as elements of an American TV treasure hunt was used in a race across the city.
*2018 had a bit of everything. An indoor treasure hunt involving taste tests with the remarkable blind veterans, a London company down in Brighton whose organiser went on to book two more hen party treasure hunts and an after dark treasure hunt complete with a rendition of Dirty Dancing`s `lift` outside Brighton`s Theatre Royal.
*2019...After all the variety of 2018, I approached 2019 with some trepidation. I shouldn`t have worried. Only one thing to do...persuade 16 professionals from Kazakhstan, Russia and Ukraine (!) to visit Brighton and Seaford for a picnic near the 7 Sisters cliffs and a treasure hunt around Brighton instead of going to Cambridge. A huge international success featured amazing fancy dress, a professional photographer, hidden treasures around the city and the actual text of the treasure hunt translated into Russian.
*2020. Clearly after 2019 Black Cat was on the up and expectations had been raised for a phenomenal year ahead. Oh...we all know what happened next and although there were some good treasure hunts before and after the lockdowns, there needed to be some `pivoting`. So pivoting I did and a cross-house, indoor treasure hunt was held with unusual and wierd challenges taking place. The dog that could Salsa and the chocolate fingers tower were, I promise you, definite highlights!
*2021. The fightback against Covid was underway and some old and some new friends got involved in personalised and bespoke treasure hunts. A `Sten` party ventured to Arundel, connections were established with Connected Brighton and The Old Ship got on board (pun intended) as an excellent start/finish point for Brighton based treasure hunts. Peter James, the author, also leant his seal of approval to a themed driving treasure hunt around Sussex, based on his books.
*2022. So here we are, almost in August. I write this the day before a Murder/mystery treasure hunt for another sten party. I`m really looking forward to seeing how they get on as all 17 of them are suspects! Will they work out which one I have chosen to be the main suspect... Next month there is a driving treasure hunt from Newick to Crowborough and Hartfield for teams all in fancy dress, including Shaun the sheep and Super Mario brothers. This is especially exciting as the same group had a driving treasure hunt back in 2014 all dressed as Wacky Races characters! I`m particularly looking forward to meeting them!
*2023 onwards...If you would like to be featured in my 200th blog as a notable treasure hunt group or you have a brilliant concept for a treasure hunt that you would like me to help bring alive then I can`t wait to hear from you. Either call me (Tim) on (01323) 655346 and leave a message, and I will call you back the same day if I have not picked up immediately or, email me on: info@blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk and once again I will respond asap.
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