Event 2 – Treasure found! [REPORT]

I must confess, I was feeling nervous yesterday morning as I headed to Hyde Park for Chapter 2′s Treasure Hunt. Who would show up?

I had had lots of interest, lots of votes (83% voted for the Treasure Hunt), but on my way to the tube a few texts and emails conveyed last minute messages that some people couldn’t come for reasons that ranged from hangovers, to a family emergency to having to actually work.

Had I timed this one wrong asking people to get out of bed in the AM hours of a Sunday that was grey and cold and misty? I arrived, stood at the meeting point, and…

…and six people who had come to Chapter 1 appeared, plus a few others – an 80% return rate! I was relieved, and by the end of the day, excited. Here is what happened:

I had asked everyone to bring an object that told a story about them, but not to let anyone else see it. I put all those concealed objects into my bag, and then lead everyone to a map of Hyde Park. The day previous I have walked around the entire Serpentine/Long Water lake (in the rain, hoping it would go away) and written scavenger hunt questions. Presently, those questions got handed to the group, and we all walked along the flanks of the lake to find the answers.

The walk was leisurely, and everyone keep exclaiming: “I always mean to do this – walk through a park on Sunday with friends – but I never get around to it. Until today!”

By the time all the scavenger hunt questions were answered, we had arrived at the Italian Gardens and decided to head into a nearby pub to sit by the fire. Everyone’s objects (now unwrapped) were spread across the table as we huddled around them. Based on how people scored on the scavenger hunt questions, the highest score went first and got to chose one of the objects from the table (obviously someone couldn’t choose their own). Firstly, each person had to look at their chosen object and guess what the story behind it might be, and then guess who it might belong to. Some people got very “CSI” in their evaluations.

Well, the conversation and personal stories flowed, and to my mind that was the treasure from the hunt: a walk through the park with a great bunch of people, and using personal objects to discover more about each other.

But that was just the beginning. The real treasure was INSPIRATION.

I handed the AreYouMyPartner book around for people’s honest feedback about the event, and a lot of ink got spilled as everyone came alive with chatter around the table. Ideas and concepts were flowing. Someone drew a treasure map in the book. I got my first entry in a foreign language: Chinese!

There were so many ideas about what we should do next that I’m going to have to create a whole new section of this website to house them: I’ll call it “Your ideas” – coming soon.

One immediate wish for Chapter 3 would be: make it more physical. So far we’ve had two “cerebral” chapters, now we need a physical challenge.

So I’m going to take that all on board and consider this wealth of inspiration, and then… What will Chapter 3 be?

Not sure just yet, but whatever it turns out to be, it will partly be the inspired result of this great treasure hunt.

***

If you want to hear why I chose Hyde Park, what happened along the way, and people’s reactions, have a listen:

Audio podcast: Chapter 2 (Ch02C): The Treasure Hunt

This is an audio recording about how the Chapter 2 Treasure Hunt unfolded, and what the participants thought about it.

Can’t hear Podcast? Click here to listen to on AudioBoo.

Subscribe to Podcast in iTunes.

---

 

***

More photos from the day:

Having trouble viewing this Flickr slide show? Click here.

This post is part of Event 2. To see all Event 2 posts, click here.

Event 2 – It’s a… treasure hunt! [EVENT DETAILS]

Well, it’s Valentine’s day, and that is our deadline to see what we’re doing for Chapter 2. And the most votes went to…

Treasure hunt!

So, here are the details:

When: Sunday the 20th of February, meet at 12:00pm

Where: Hyde Park Corner (google map here)
Who can come: Anyone
How much: Free
SPECIAL NOTE: If you need to get a hold of me on the day, I will have an event mobile: 07528 282 570 (PLEASE NOTE: that number is only active that day, so don’t call it before or after.)
BTW: In the event of bad weather, there is a plan B, but we would still meet same time and same place, just bring an umbrella.

On the day, please bring a small object that tells a story about you. It could be anything you like, but please try to bring something small and portable, say no larger than a football/soccer ball. Also, please bring your object in a bag or container such that no one else will see it when you arrive. You’ll understand why on the day.

Any questions, get in touch, otherwise see you there!

Video podcast: Chapter 2 (Ch02B)

Can’t see Podcast? Click here to watch on YouTube.

Subscribe to Podcast in iTunes.

 

This post is part of Event 2. To see all Event 2 posts, click here.