The majority of people enjoy getting out of the office and doing something a bit different, and here at Wildfire we don’t just look forward to summer and Christmas parties. On occasion, we will venture away from the safety of our little boathouse in Kingston and enjoy an afternoon of fun and games as a reward for hard work when it is due. Last week we all headed off to the Escape Rooms in London Bridge with our buddies in tow, giggling like children on a school trip (minus the high-vis jackets and responsible adult).

After a hideous half hour on the train and a hot tube, we arrived at a nearby watering hole (aka pub) to refresh and refuel.

But we didn’t just travel all the way up town for a drink… We were patiently waiting for our Escape Rooms challenge.

If you have not done one of these before, they are great fun! The idea is for your group to escape a locked room within an hour, but it’s not that simple. You have to answer clues that lead to more clues, until eventually you unlock the front door.

Our teams for the Escape Rooms

At Escape Rooms London Bridge they have two themed rooms — an Egyptian-inspired room, the Pharaoh’s Chamber, and a Chinese museum-inspired room, Room 33.

Split in to three teams, the first group, GinGinGin, went off to complete their Pharaoh’s challenge, deep in the heart of the pyramid. But this chamber is cursed and it was their task to escape before the time was up, trapping them in the tomb for all eternity.

The last two teams then went head to head. Group 2, Gr8ful Eight, were in the same room as the first team. Group 3, Seven Deadly Sins, (my team) were in Room 33. We travelled back in time to the present day with the task of stealing back our emperor’s precious vase from a London Museum, before our time machines portal door closed.

The pressure was on! In one hour, not only did we have to find the vase but we also had to try and beat the other teams. This challenge required teamwork, level headedness and the ability not to scream at each other with excitement!

So, was it any good?

It was brilliant, and having had the opportunity to complete the other room with a group of friends previously, I couldn’t help but compare. They were equal in difficulty, with some easy puzzles and some ridiculously hard (you will never get without a hint) puzzles.

But overall with the mission impossible music and the need to make your way through a forest of lasers (that decreases your time if you touch them), Room 33 was by far my favourite.

And the winners were…

You will be pleased to hear that everyone escaped with minutes to spare!

Phew…

It would have been much better if my team had won but we did have the lasers to contend with (not an excuse, but a valid point!).

Congratulations Gr8ful Eight!