For the uninitiated, we were not quite sure what to expect upon arrival at Locked in a Room. Having been ushered upstairs, Year 13 were divided into teams and asked to come up with team names – pressure! Not surprisingly, some of us ended up with evidently spur-of-the-moment titles, including ‘The Potato Chips’. Brilliant!
Briefing complete, we were shown to the doorways into our respective escape rooms. Two teams attempted Timelock (slightly easier) and the other two went for Parallax (more cryptic). The allotted hour whizzed past, with the conundrums coming thick and fast. As soon as one clue was solved this unlocked the next puzzle; the countdown clock ticking down on the big screen above our heads didn’t seem to help much…
Without wanting to give too much away, we managed to solve number mysteries, poetry puzzles, figure out how to complete unlikely-looking circuits and survive two explosive reveals. Not to mention an unforgettable ‘Narnia’ moment! The teacher team finished last, but still completed the room with a ‘comfortable’ 3 minutes 15 seconds to spare. Phew! But then, this team only had 3 members - and 6 brains in all the other teams must be better than 3!
Dinner at Zizzi’s, by comparison, was a much more relaxed activity. Everyone enjoyed their pizza and pasta, with some students indulging in a full 3-course extravaganza! It was a lovely atmosphere and a great way to celebrate the festive season together.
