ARTS + ENTERTAINMENT
THE BANK JOB BROADSTAIRS
HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO STAGE YOUR VERY OWN MASTER HEIST ? TO COMBINE CUNNING AND INSIDER INTELLIGENCE WITH SOME BOLD , BRAVE MOVES AND TIME-PRESSURED DECISIONS TO ‘ STEAL ’ THE TREASURE , WITHOUT GETTING CAUGHT ? PREPARE TO FIND OUT ! BY SAMANTHA READY
When Dan and Theresa Kelsall realised their dream of opening their very own bar in their hometown of Broadstairs , the former Lloyd ’ s Bank building , and now new abode of The Counting House Bar , offered up a very interesting opportunity .
Aside from lovingly restoring and repurposing the original features , creating a welcoming bar ( with a banging cocktail list ) and creating a host of exclusive private party spaces , the original bank vault afforded the perfect setting for The Counting House ’ s first escape room – with a difference !
Now , bear with me , because it is of course very difficult to fully bring to life the setting and the experience without spoiling the ending ( or the middle or the beginning ) here , but let me try my best to explain why the insideKENT crew had one of their best team days out in a looong time ; solving , shouting , blowing things up , and getting their inner ‘ Snatch ’ on , in a very special basement in Broadstairs ...
Picture the scene , you have arrived with your specially selected team of master bank robbers ( in our case half the sales team , a slightly bewildered publisher and a deadline-weary editor ) ready to pull off the biggest bank job Broadstairs has ever seen .
On arrival , resident room host Jon set our scene , explaining everything from important health and safety through to the top tips of never forgetting what is in front of you and to use all of our team ’ s wit and problem solving skills ! We were thrust some special equipment , told to forget any escape room experience we may have already had ( which is actually much harder than it sounds for you escape room regulars ), and were reminded to listen for some very special help from our guv ’ nor Basil ; who ’ d be on hand to inject some timely advice along with some insults along the way !
Having deposited our belongings we were ready to embark on our heist !
In just 60 minutes we would need to outwit security , break into the vault and ‘ steal ’ the legendary diamond – all without being caught !
Descending to the original bank vault in the basement , along with the thrill of being in a space usually so strictly ‘ off-limits ’, we were soon caught up in the nervous excitement of whether we would solve the room and escape with the bounty .
In a marked difference to many escape room setups , the team here have not only acknowledged the original spaces available to set the puzzle , which brings a whole new level of authenticity , in doing so they have done away with the typical escape room premise of , in most cases , simply finding locks and keys to break out , to really thrust you into the world of criminal thinking and cunning , to break in – and it is fantastic !!
After some frantic moments , a few red herrings and some utter brilliance on behalf of each of the members of iK ’ s team of master criminals , we emerged triumphant with our diamond in a very respectable time of 45 minutes and 21 seconds ! And of course promptly rewarded our criminal endeavours with a drink in the bar !
Suitable for teams of 2 - 5 , The Bank Job is a great way of testing your puzzle solving skills , realigning your honest psyche and having a whole heap of fun along the way . Even the end debrief , where you ’ ll be able to unpick the things you were super quick to cotton onto and the areas where you let yourself , your team and the intimidating Basil down ( hang your balaclava-covered head in shame !) bring added fun and laughter to your experience .
Whether you are an escape room affenciando , looking for a family day out or a team building experience like no other , or simply fancy yourself as a master criminal ( without the actual crime of course !), The Bank Job , which now proudly ( and rightfully ) boasts a heap of 5 * reviews and Trip Advisor acclaim , is not to be missed !
Our crew of misfit thieves can ’ t wait for Basil ’ s next adventure …
The Bank Job Broadstairs The Counting House 42 High Street Broadstairs CT10 1JT www . thebankjobbroadstairs . co . uk
thebankjobbroadstairs
Save 10 % off of your The Bank Job booking . The first 50 readers to use the code INSIDEKENT at the time of booking will receive 10 % off of their The Bank Job escape room ticket price ! Simply insert the code at the checkout and good luck !
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