You will arrive on Friday evening, check in, and be welcomed to a reception at 8pm. Amid the chink of glasses and hubbub of greetings and introductions, you have your first opportunity of establishing who are the characters and who are your crime-solving companions. A sumptuous three course dinner follows with ‘themed entertainment’.
During the evening, a murder will be committed. The Police will arrive and begin their investigations. This is when you become a sleuth. You will have the advantage over the Police, as you have already met and got to know the main suspects.
On Saturday night, there will be a themed party with dinner, dancing … and dastardly deeds!
On Sunday morning, after breakfast, everyone is gathered together by the Police, who explain the motives of the suspects, point out key clues, and, ultimately, reveal the murderer or murderers. How good will your sleuthing have been? Will you have disentangled the red herrings from the truth? Will you have hit upon the correct solution and won the coveted S.W.I.F.T. Award? (Sleuthing With Intellectual Flair and Tenacity)
The weekend officially ends at 12.30 on Sunday but most guests stay longer – not wanting to leave and break the spell! It is a weekend you will always remember – so take a stab at it!
After breakfast on Saturday, the Police will set up an Incident Room, where vital evidence will be exhibited, and this will remain open for the rest of the weekend. You will be free in the morning to either enjoy the facilities of the hotel, or the surrounding area or, if you prefer, to pursue your enquiries. If you do happen to meet the actors at the local shops or in the hotel, you can still question them as they will stay in character all weekend.
Everyone meets up for lunch, which gives you more opportunities to discuss your ideas with your fellow sleuths, interrogate the suspects and witness more ghastly goings-on! You can also join in the themed games during the afternoon if you wish.
