Top girlfriend points go to me this week. Disappointed that Laura's birthday plans couldn't go ahead, I set out on a mission to create something just as special. The solution: a Liverpool FC themed escape room. Here's how I did it.
Firstly, I needed a plot. It was as follows. Laura is Jurgen Klopp (Liverpool's manager for the uneducated folk), and there is a match in 4 hours (seems excessive but will become clear). Disaster strikes when he gets to the dressing room (the porch) and the team are no where to be seen. Jurg must find all the players and find a way of getting them to the match in time. I sent her out on a walk while I set up and on her arrival home, dressed her as Jurgen and the search started on the whistle.
Clue 1: The first clue to open box number one, was the formation of the players on the game plan that was tucked behind a picture. Laura was most impressed by my outstanding formation which I created myself. My dad would be proud.
Clue 2: In box number one was a player and a rhyme that lead her to find a specific book on the shelf. The rhyme referred to a time where I ripped out a page of said book in my sleep and threw it at her...not sure why, bit weird, but that's that. On the game plan were also three substitutes and their numbers correlated to a page in the book which had three numbers in the text underlined. These three numbers opened the lock to box number two.
Clue 3: In box number two was another player and 5 letters that spelled out mirror. She had to arrange the letters to work out the spelling which lead her to the mirror...obvs.
Clue 4: On the mirror was a bright, white toothed smile. Firmino, who has incredibly blinding teeth was stuck to a drawing of Bristol (done by my beautiful sister Flo Green, check her out) in the reflection of the mirror.
Clue 5: The drawing of Bristol was the next clue, locating the bunch of keys for my home in Bristol which had a key on for lockbox number three.
Clue 6: In box number three was another player and some text which read 'uhn derhtzeb ed'. For those of you that enjoy Instagram filter games, you may get this one. If you say the sentence out loud you should get something that sounds somewhat like 'under the bed'. If you didn't you probably wouldn't have done very well with this clue. Thankfully Laura got it.
Clue 7: Under the bed she found Trent (a player) and the key to box four attached to the end of a piece of string. The string was wrapped around the bed slats in all sorts of complicated ways and she had to unravel it to pull Trent and the key to freedom.
Clue 8: In box four was a player and picture of Laura from when she was younger (thankyou to Laura's mum for her help with this one) and the date it was taken was the code for box number five.
Clue 9: Box number five had another player in and two pictures of me and Laura in different cities; Liverpool and Dublin. The number that letters 'L' and 'D' are in the alphabet gave her the code to the next box.
Clue 10: In the next box, was another player and a brochure of a place she used to visit when she was young. By this box was a map. She had to locate the place on the map and use the coordinates to open box seven.
Clue 11: In box seven were two players and a riddle referring to an old wives tale her mum and dad used to tell her when she was young, about a tree that would grant you a wish if you threw a stone in the hole in its trunk. When she got this correct I handed her the key to the final lockbox.
Clue 12: In the final box was her favourite player, Thiago, and a rhyme that lead her to her toolbox where she found the instructions for a Lego Liverpool Bus.
As she completed the clues, she discovered 16 origami boxes that contained lego pieces in. She now rounded all these up and got started on her bus. The lego pieces were ridiculously small, unbeknownst to me when I ordered it, and since the weather was so unexpectedly nice, she didn't actually complete the bus in the time. But it was a lovely hangover project and now has pride of place on the shelf!
And there you have it! Potentially just as fun for me to make as it was for her to complete and her birthday was a success. Would highly recommend.