Avast, me hearties - there's an adventure to be had in Whitley Bay in the form of thrilling pirate-themed challenges which have earned rave reviews on Tripadvisor.
Pirate Escape Rooms on Park View has been hailed as "brilliant", "exciting" and a "great fun day out" by hundreds of visitors, making it a must if you're looking for fun family days out over half term. The only venue of its kind in the coastal town, these escape rooms challenge guests to complete a series of quests against the clock to find their way out of their themed room, which will be full of clues to uncover.
The escape rooms are a family affair, run by Angela and Paul Simms along with the help of their sons and daughters-in-law: Daniel and his wife Waiyee, Robert and wife Edwina - whose shared love of gaming has taken them all over the world - and Andrew, who specialises in the electronics side of the magic. The family first set up their unique escape rooms almost nine years ago, and the business has gone from strength to strength ever since - even managing to survive Covid lockdowns and having their roof ripped off by Storm Arwen.
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It all began when Angela and Paul's sons became inspired after visiting an escape room for the first time in Newcastle, and came home raving about it - so their parents challenged them to come up with a plan to set up their own. Angela laughed as she recalled the tale: "We never thought they actually would - but they did!
"So we sat down with a business plan, we all put so much money in each, no loans or anything like that. We designed the first game on the wall of my son's dining room - it looked like we were going to rob a bank!
"I thought, 'if anyone sees this, they'll think we've gone mad'," Angela joked. "And then we found a fantastic building - the estate agent said, 'it's all little rooms, mind - I don't know what you'll do with it.' And I said: 'perfect'."
The escape rooms have a real personal touch and visitors are sure to have a one-of-a-kind experience, as the family designs and builds all of their own games and are always coming up with new ideas for different challenges. Each game is different and includes a series of spaces full of objects and clues - unlike some other escape rooms out there, Angela and team encourage families to attend as they tailor their games to be suitable for all ages.
Current games include the Secrets of the Orient, where you will be tasked with stealing an ancient artefact that will give you the power to control the seas; The Mutiny, in which you will be the last loyal crew members trying to escape a sinking ship; and Space Pirates, where you must get out of an abandoned vessel before the oxygen runs out. There's also new room The Captain's Vault, where you and your crew will find yourselves on a heist to recover a mystery item in a secret location.
The rooms are rated as one of the best things to do in Whitley Bay, according to hundreds of visitors who have left glowing reviews on Tripadvisor. One person praised: "Fantastic use of the space, well decorated and some innovative puzzles that I’ve not seen in other rooms before."
Another wrote: "The best escape room we have been to. The staff were extremely kind and very helpful when one of my children got worried. Brilliant for all ages. Highly recommend."
And a third visitor remarked: "Came for my daughters ninth birthday party. All the children had a fantastic time and they all said it was the best party they have ever been to."
They may have been a relatively rare phenomenon when Pirate Escape first arrived in Whitley Bay, but escape rooms have become all the rage in recent years - so what is it that sets theirs apart from the rest? "I think one of the key things for us is that we enjoy it ourselves," Angela said.
"Because we run it ourselves we're so invested in it, we love it, and we hope that comes across - and people seem to like that enthusiasm that we have for the business." She added: "We want everyone to enjoy it, whether they're never played one or they're experts - it doesn't matter to us."
Angela and family have organised a special treat for fans of the escape room over Easter - Whitley Bay locals should keep their eyes peeled for painted rocks, which have been hidden by Angela and family in and around the area and have different special offers for the escape rooms including discounts or a free game.
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