FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

ABOUT OUR TREASURE HUNTS

Each pack includes a sheet of Briefing Notes telling the teams how the treasure hunt is structured and advising them on how best to complete their treasure hunt.

There is also a sheet of cryptic clues. This is the sheet that gets the teams around the route. All the clues are visual clues so no knowledge of the area, nor of the history of the area is required.

There is also a sheet of observation questions in each pack. These are items that the teams will pass or walk near as they make their way round the treasure hunt route. The answer to a question might be to do with a name or a date on a blue plaque; facts on an information board; a name or a date on a gravestone or even a question about a statue or monument. Since this round involves the teams working together to find the answers this is great for team work exercises. Again, because the answers are there on the route no knowledge of the area nor of the history of the area is required.

The final sheet is a sheet of photo challenges. Again these are items that the teams will pass as they find their ways around the route. Statues, street furnishings etc. are all used but they have been photographed from strange angles to make identifying them something of a challenge. For example the teams might have to identify a statue using a photograph of just the statue's nose? All the items are passed on the route so no knowledge of the area nor of the history of the area is required.

All the sheets are laminated and the teams are provided with a permanent ink marker with which to write the answers directly onto the sheets.

We suggest that each team should number between four and six people. Obviously you can include more people per team and some of our clients have done the treasure hunts with as few as one or as many as twelve members per team but our experience suggests that a good team dynamic is established with four to six people

All the teams do follow the same route. One of the concerns expressed by our clients is that if the teams follow the same route then they will just follow each other.

This is never really an issue because of the way our treasure hunts are structured. Each team's pack includes everything they will need to complete the treasure hunt.

What tends to happen is that once the teams have their packs they go off in little huddles and read through the Rules and Pointers sheet and through the clues, observation questions and photo challenges. This serves as an automatic staggered start since the teams set off at their own pace and in their own time.

Also it is stressed on the Rules and Pointers that they must be discreet when they find clues so as not to give other teams the heads up as to where a solution is.

Within about three clues you will find that the teams are separated out and so you don't tend to get bunching up.

Our treasure hunts are walked at least once a month, mostly twice a month to ensure they are up to date. This is an extremely important issue to keep in mind when deciding who to book your treasure hunt with. The amount of building work that is going on in London at the moment means that clues can, and often do, disappear behind scaffolding or get bulldozed into the ground when a building is demolished.

By monitoring our routes on such a regular basis we ensure that we send out the most up to date versions of our treasure hunts to you.

Furthermore, because we also operate a series of London walks and tours that cover the whole of the capital we have guides out on the streets on a daily basis who know the location of the clues for every treasure hunt and who can report back on any changes that have occurred.

When you book the treasure hunt with us we ask you what date you intend to do it. Should a clue change between us sending out the treasure hunt packs and the date on which you are scheduled to do the treasure hunt we will contact you immediately and replace your clue sheets free of charge.

In a word, yes. When we send the self- managed packs to you the answers are sealed in an envelope so you can take part in the treasure hunt and then open the envelope afterwards for marking purposes.

Of course you could also open the envelope before hand and guarantee your place on the winning team!!

But seriously, the nice thing about the self managed hunts is that the person who arranges it can take part.

All our treasure hunts end at pubs or wine bars where you can arrange for a meal or buffet.

Many of them have their own private rooms that you can reserve free of charge.

We send out the name of the final venue and the phone number for this venue in order that you can contact them and make the necessary arrangements.

If you are planning to do your treasure hunt on a date that is after our next scheduled walk through of the route then we will email you to suggest waiting for this to be completed so that we can ensure you have the most up to date version.

Packs are sent by overnight courier within 48 hours of them being sent.

We email you to let you know that your treasure hunt has been despatched and we are able to monitor its progress.

Please note that the packs are large and do not fit through a standard letter box so there will need to be someone there to sign for and receive the packages.

If you need the packs urgently we can send them out by guaranteed next day delivery. This costs £20.00 and, again, there will need to be someone at the address we send them to to sign for and receive the packages.

Our treasure hunts are all written in English, so participants will need to be able to read and understand English.

What many people do, when the treasure hunt participants are made up of different nationalities, is ensure that each team has at least one native English speaker on the team.

However, the clues are not too cryptic, and, since they are visual and directional, most overseas visitors can complete them without too much difficulty, albeit a little extra thought might be required.

Please remember though that we do not send the treasure hunts overseas, you will need a UK address to receive them.

We also have multi-lingual event managers (French, German, Dutch, Spanish, Russian, Itlian and Danish speakers) should you wish your treasure hunt to be managed by us.