by Catherine Collins. CONTENT WARNING – images unsuitable for children.
The sun was setting as we arrived at Strawberry Fields in Boldre, near Lymington last night (14 October), providing an eerie backdrop to the Big Top tent as we drove into the car park.
Were we ready for an evening of scare mazes at Scream Aloud?
Can you ever really be ready?
We’ve been to plenty of Fright Nights at Thorpe Park over the years, so had a good idea what to expect.
In fact, the first scare maze we ever did was a bit of an accident, we were queuing for what we thought was a ride, complete with our youngest son, who was 10.
I’m pretty sure we traumatised him for life that day.
Once we were inside the Big Top and queuing to enter the mazes, there was plenty of entertainment – including fire spinners, a live DJ, fair rides, refreshments, and, of course, scare characters interacting with the crowd.
Among them, an escaped prisoner with a chain saw banged a nail into his nose and insisted I pulled it back out, and a clown stared into my eyes without moving for what felt like forever, before finally moving on to someone else.
Outside again, where the mazes are situated, we realised night had descended, and the New Forest can be a dark place – in more ways than one. You enter the mazes as a group of 4 – 6, hooded and feeling your way to the woods with a rope.
I’m not going to go into detail to what happens in each one – I don’t want to ruin the ‘surprise’. Remember, this is an immersive experience.
But, I will tell you I was kidnapped by a witch in Nocturnal, ran on the spot in Boot Camp, because I was told to – not something anyone who knows me would say I would do, and was locked in a dark room alone (until I was joined by strangers) in Ward 13!
Scream Aloud is an impressive set up, in what, just a few weeks ago was a field with some trees in. And the costumes, sets, and actors ensure you really are part of the experience you signed up to.
It’s not for the faint hearted.
The mazes work best as group of 4 – 6 people, but don’t worry if you are alone or a pair – you will find a special camaraderie as you escape each maze with the people around you, as we did.
Scream Aloud Scream Park has another 7 nights to run through October, for more information and to purchase tickets, visit: www.screamaloud.com.
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