Tracy Collins [00:00:00]: Are you looking for a unique and memorable way to explore UK cities? Stay tuned because today's guest has created something really special that you are going to love. Intro [00:00:10]: Welcome to the UK Travel Planning Podcast. Your host is the founder of the UK travel planning website, Tracey Collins. Each week, Tracey shares destination guides, travel tips and itinerary ideas, as well as interviews with a variety of guests who share their knowledge and experience of UK travel to help you plan your perfect UK vacation. Join us as we explore the uk from cosmopolitan cities to quaint villages, from historic castles to beautiful islands, and from the picturesque countryside to seaside towns. Tracy Collins [00:00:40]: Before we get started, we'd like to Tracy Collins [00:00:42]: thank our sponsor Walks and Devour Tours. If you're planning a trip to London, you'll already know the challenge. Tracy Collins [00:00:48]: There's a lot you want to do Tracy Collins [00:00:49]: and only a limited amount of time to fit it all in. That's where the right tour makes all Tracy Collins [00:00:53]: the difference because you want experiences that Tracy Collins [00:00:56]: are the best use of your time, with more access, less waiting and a deeper sense of the city. That's why we recommend Walks and Devour Tours. They offer walking tours and food tours designed to make your time count, often with early or after hours entry. You'll also be with exceptional local guides Tracy Collins [00:01:13]: who add the stories and context so Tracy Collins [00:01:15]: you leave with a richer understanding of what you're seeing and a trip that feels genuinely memorable. If you're visiting London as a couple Tracy Collins [00:01:21]: with family or you simply prefer a Tracy Collins [00:01:23]: more intimate experience, Walks and Devour Tours also offer private tour options. To learn more, you'll find the link in the show notes. Tracy Collins [00:01:31]: Now let's get into this week's episode. Tracy Collins [00:01:34]: Hi and welcome to this week's episode of the UK Travel Planning Podcast. Now this week I'm chatting with someone whose idea I absolutely love and whose work I've personally experienced while traveling in the uk. If you like discovering cities through stories, puzzles and hands on exploration and learning about history along the way, you're going to love this conversation and stay listening until the end because we have an exclusive discount code for mystery guides that I'll share later in the episode. Now, I first came across myst mystery guides a few years ago when I was visiting Winchester with my cousin. She brought one of the mystery guides along with her because she'd done one before and had received the Winchester guide as a gift. Now, I hadn't done one before and I didn't really know what to expect, but honestly, it completely transformed how we explored the city. Instead of just wandering around or ticking off sites, it felt like a proper adventure we were solving clues, learning about the history as we went, stopping for tea and cake, occasionally chatting away and noticing things we absolutely would have walked straight past otherwise. What was also really fun was that while we were exploring Winchester, we kept bumping into other groups who were doing the mystery guide as well. Tracy Collins [00:02:44]: So it created this lovely shared experience. You really felt part of something without it being a formal group tour. Now, by the end of the day, we both said the same thing. It was such a fun way to explore. It's one of those travel days that really sticks with you. And I have to say, as an extra history teacher and someone who absolutely loves puzzles, I remember thinking, I wish I'd had this idea. It just brings the. It just brings those two things together in such a clever, accessible way. Tracy Collins [00:03:12]: And honestly, I think it's such a fabulous way for visitors to explore the uk. So today I'm really pleased to welcome Jack Wells, the creator of mystery Guides. Tracy Collins [00:03:23]: Okay, Jack, so for anyone who hasn't come across mystery guides before, could you introduce yourself and tell us how you describe what you do and what a mystery guide actually is? Jack Wells [00:03:33]: Okay, so I'll start by saying I'm Jack, and Jack Wells, founder of Mystery guides, started it 2019, something like that. A mystery guide, if I want to introduce what a mystery guide actually is, is a small book that takes you on an adventure around a city. So if you follow the story, you solve the clues, you, you will find some hidden, real hidden treasure at the end of it. So it's an immersive activity book for adults and. Tracy Collins [00:04:02]: Yes, and they're absolutely fantastic, as I've already said in the introduction, how, how enthusiastic I, I am about them. So once, once somebody's bought a mystery guide, what does their experience actually look like on the day? Jack Wells [00:04:14]: Okay, so this, it's, you buy it online and it gets delivered to you. So it's a physical book, nothing on your phone, you don't need any technology whatsoever. And it comes in a nice gift sleeve as well, so it looks all mysterious. You then take it to the starting point. So you may be doing it in your hometown or you might be going to, let's say London to do it. So you take it to the starting point and there's a map that tells you where to start, and that will be your first clue and you get the start of the story. So a good example of it is my London book, which is the Mystery of the Holy Grail, which is a famous treasure hunt story from many, many, many, many years ago. On this adventure, you're actually looking for the Holy Grail somewhere in London. Jack Wells [00:04:57]: And it starts at the old Templar's church in London. So it has a real connection with the Knights Templar and the story of the Holy Grail. So you start off with a real. You're actually in the place where the Knights Templar would have been and you're on the search for their legendary Holy Grail. So it takes you on a. The walk itself is about two miles around London and I like to take you to places that you wouldn't ordinarily go. So you go down little side streets, little alleyways. You find really old pubs tucked away that you never knew were there. Jack Wells [00:05:29]: You learn a bit of history of the Grail of London, of other things. You might stop for a coffee on the way or a drink on the way. And when you solve all the clues, you will find where the Grail is hidden and hopefully it. You will find it there and you will learn something at the end, you walk away with a lesson learned. So there's, there's a twist in all of these stories that I won't spoil because you might want to do it. Tracy Collins [00:05:56]: Excellent. Well, hopefully they will. If you're listening to this, I'm sure you will. I did a mystery guide in Winchester. That was the first one I did. And what I really loved about the. I love the whole, the whole aspect, everything about it. But what was really cool is we kept meeting other couples who were doing. Tracy Collins [00:06:13]: Who were doing the mystery guide. And this was a random day in October and there was at least three other couples that were doing the mystery guide at the same time as we are. So we kept meeting them along the way as they were solving clues. So it was brilliant. Jack Wells [00:06:25]: That's one aspect, actually of the business that I didn't expect that's become so key to it on the day you meet lots of other people doing the same thing. And because it's a book and you can see definitely they're doing the same thing. It's not an app on a phone or something. It's kind of like this secret club that you're all part of. And I've had stories of people making friends along the way, having drinks at the end together, staying in contact together, you know, and actually making, yeah, new friends through it. And I really like the fact that it's become a kind of a community. And, yeah, I really didn't anticipate that at all. And so sometimes I'm around London or I'm around Portsmouth or wherever, and I always see people with the book and Whoever I'm with, they're always like, go and say hello, Jack. Jack Wells [00:07:04]: Go say hello. And sometimes I do, sometimes I'm like, no, just let them, let them get on with it. Tracy Collins [00:07:10]: Oh, well, the next one I'm actually going to do is Portsmouth, so I'm looking forward to doing that one. Now you have mystery guides for quite a few destinations across the uk. I know that you've got York, you've got Bath, you've got Winchester, you've got Portsmouth. Can you go through kind of the range of locations that people can choose from? Jack Wells [00:07:26]: Yeah, so there are actually 33 currently live and I'm working on another one at the moment. So there's 33 locations. I've got three in London at the moment. I've got like places like Brighton, Canterbury, Portsmouth, Southampton, all on the south coast, lots further north as well. So you've got around York, you've got like Leeds, Sheffield, I've got Manchester, Liverpool, that area. I've got the west, I've got Plymouth and Exeter. Down in the west they've got Scotland. So Glasgow, Edinburgh. Jack Wells [00:08:00]: So yeah, I'm covering, I'm looking over there because I've got my map on the wall where all these stickers are, where I've got. But pretty much any major city you can name. There are some, a couple that are missing, but I'd say I've got pretty much every major city in the uk, which is brilliant. Tracy Collins [00:08:15]: So wherever you go, not only you could start your trip with a mystery guide and you can do mystery guides as you, as you travel around the uk. As I said, they take a few hours, so a great way actually. Great introduction to a city as well, to kind of learn your way around. As you walk around, you discover things that you won't see. I mean, I've been Winchester a few times, but I found things that I didn't had no idea about in Winchester when I did the mystery guide. Now at the moment they're not available, I believe they're not available to purchase outside of the uk. Is that true still? Jack Wells [00:08:45]: Yeah, so we, but we do. So now I believe we've pretty much got them for sale in every city that they're in. So there may be one or two missing, but in the next month we'll have them in every city. So if, for example, you do want to arrive in, in a place and pick it up on the day, then if they want to get in touch, I can point them to where to pick it up. We are going to have like a list of where all the collection points are. But yeah, people often message and say, we're in York now. Where can we get one? So we're working on that. But generally people get them posted to them, so maybe their hotel or where they live. Jack Wells [00:09:23]: But yeah, you can pick it up on the day now. So that's an option. Tracy Collins [00:09:26]: That's good because we do have a lot of listeners who are from North America and Australia. And actually we did a. We've done a few itinerary consults because it's part of what we do. And I know I talked about the mystery guides and one of the couples said that they'd contacted you and you were sending them to their hotel. So they were very excited. Yeah, that's. Jack Wells [00:09:44]: That's. Sometimes do that. And that. That does work. Yes, I'm glad that. I'm glad they did it. Yeah. Tracy Collins [00:09:48]: Yeah. So that's really good now. Okay, so let's talk about. Because you were a history teacher, we talked about that briefly before we went on air, but. And that's what I used to do. But now we kind of talked a little bit about mystery guides and what they involved. How did you come up with this idea, Jack? Because I'm really jealous that you did. Jack Wells [00:10:06]: Well, it's like an evolution, right? So if you. If you go right back when I was probably about 7 years old, my dad was training to be a tour guide in Old Portsmouth, and he used to take me out on, like, to trial it. So he said. I remember he said to me one day, we're going to go on an adventure around Old Portsmouth. We just showed up and I had the most amazing day going around all these old parts of the city that I'd never seen before. And he was telling me all these amazing stories, and we would stop in little pubs along the way and chat to people in there. And at that time, there were quite a lot of veterans still drinking in the pubs. Talk about, like, early 90s. Jack Wells [00:10:42]: There are a lot more veterans around. They from the Navy, from Air Force and everything. So we'd sit in there, listen to stories, and I just became obsessed with, like, storytelling and history. So I ended up studying it at university and then I did my dissertation about Portsmouth. I really wanted to tell these stories, but I didn't know how to do it. I did a bit of tour guiding, but it wasn't the scale that I wanted. I really wanted lots of people to do it, and I couldn't always be there to do the tour guiding. So I wrote all the stories down and I was looking for something Else to make it, to give it a bit more fun, more of a purpose. Jack Wells [00:11:15]: So around about that time I did like a kiddies scavenger hunt type thing where you had like little clues to solve and go around. And I thought, oh my God, why aren't adults doing this? This is too, this fits. It's just like the perfect combination. So I made the first one for Portsmouth and it started off as an app actually that you could do on your phone. And then someone when they were testing the app said, can you print all this out? Because I'd love to keep it and have a copy. So now I thought, well actually it probably could work as a book too. Although it's old fashioned to go backwards in technology. I thought, no, I'll give it a go. Jack Wells [00:11:48]: And I started selling it on a market store in Portsmouth and then I saw the demand was just massive from there and I just thought, so I never actually planned to write more. I just did one for Portsmouth and that was it. And then people asked for more and it grew. So it was an evolution. It's not just one day I came up with it, but I'm glad I did because I'm really. It's exactly what I was born to do. I would say. Tracy Collins [00:12:10]: Oh yeah, they're absolutely excellent. How do you decide? I know you say you've got 33 books at the minute covering quite a few destinations. I know you've got three for London. I'm gonna, I have to try one of those for London, Jack. I'm actually going to London today, so I'll be, I'll be putting that on my list to, to have a look and see which one you've got one. The whole, the Grail one. Now I'm gonna have to do that one. Jack Wells [00:12:27]: Yeah. Tracy Collins [00:12:28]: How do you decide where you gonna do? Like how. How's the kind of evolution of the different cities that you've covered? Kind of progressed. Jack Wells [00:12:36]: So I do have to put my kind of business hat on and be like, where is not always. Sometimes I do a book because I'm interested, I just want to do it anyway. But a lot of the time I have to think, well, what would sell well, what would do well, where is the most demand? So roughly the split, I don't know exactly, but it's about half of people that live in a city do it and half of people visitors do it. So you want a big population, but also where a lot of people visit. So that's kind of how I do it. So like big populations I start with, with and Tourist information kind of figures, but there are smaller places that, that are just full of history that are so interesting that I just have to do. And even though it's probably not going to be the biggest seller, I just really wanted to do it. So that would. Jack Wells [00:13:19]: That's my most recent book. It wasn't the biggest place, but it's full of history. And I was just like, gotta do it. So I did. Tracy Collins [00:13:26]: So where's that for? Jack Wells [00:13:29]: I've not told anyone yet. Tracy Collins [00:13:30]: Oh, okay. Jack Wells [00:13:31]: I can say. I can say it's. It's for Shrewsbury, which is a very historic place. And yeah, I just got back from a trip there and I really, really enjoyed it there and I'm really. This mystery guy is going to be fantastic. So, yeah, I'm gonna do. I'm gonna. I know the story already, so it's just a matter of putting it together now. Tracy Collins [00:13:49]: It's so. It's so exciting because I guess you can. When you've decided potentially where you want to do it, I guess then you. I mean, what do you do when you kind of think about the practicalities of putting a book together? I guess you have to go visit the place. Jack Wells [00:14:02]: Yeah. I'd say that the most important thing that holds the whole mystery guide together and what makes it so special is the story, because all the stories are inspired by real events that happened in that town. And there's so many unsolved mysteries around the UK or things that we just don't know about. So like I said, the Holy Grail, that's. That's more of a kind of an international one, but there's loads in this country, like the mystery of the missing Ninth Legion, the Roman legion that went missing and no one knows what happened to them. That, that's a. In the uk, I've got a story on the crown jewels that inspired by one time the crown jewels were stolen from Tower of London and the story is that they didn't all get all come back, come back, there's one missing. So they're all inspired by real things. Jack Wells [00:14:43]: So when I go to a place, I'm looking for that inspiration of what, what captures the. The feel of the city, the mood, the spirit of the city. And is there a story there that could represent it? Hull was a really good one recently where I was really looking for a story that could, that could really a big moment in Hull's history that could, that could represent it. And it was when King Charles. Yeah, Charles the first, during the, during the Civil War, he was refused entry to the city and it's all inspired by the events around that. But it's, there's a really good twist in it and I'm really proud of it. So. But that's when you say when you put it together, it really does. Jack Wells [00:15:22]: It really hinges on the story because then everything comes out of it. The artwork and the style, the theme, everything comes out of that. So. And the treasure, the treasure at the end as well. It's all, it has to be there. So there is actual stuff to find at the end. So yeah, that's it. Tracy Collins [00:15:41]: Like all of the clues you're putting together. So you solve all the clues but you're learning when you're solving the clues, which is really interesting. And then at the end then you kind of get the, the you solve the big mystery. The whole point of what you've been doing it for. Jack Wells [00:15:53]: Yes. And now every single mystery guide has real treasure because I know you mentioned earlier. Did Winchester. Winchester didn't. Tracy Collins [00:15:59]: Yes. Jack Wells [00:15:59]: When I started it didn't have real treasure hidden there. It just had the story conclusion. But now there's, now there's actual treasure there. So every single mystery guide has treasure now and I think that's really cool. So. Tracy Collins [00:16:11]: Oh, that is, that is. I like the idea of that. And the books, I have to say Tracy Collins [00:16:15]: as well, the books are really lovely. Tracy Collins [00:16:17]: They're beautifully put together. You've got an excellent website as well, which I will link to as well, which is I just, as I say everything you do, I just think is, is. It's absolutely brilliant and so well put together. And it's just. You've got a lovely story as well, Jack, about how this all happened as well, which I think is, you know, gives it that just that authenticity and you know, it's, it's not. You didn't come from like a mass generated idea of I'm going to, you know, like a big company. This is a. You started this from your own experience in your own life. Tracy Collins [00:16:46]: And I think that that is amazing Jack Wells [00:16:48]: because there is, there is a kind of like a temptation to just create one and then just reproduce it for every city or based upon one story and then just get loads and loads of loads. Some people do that, that like you do get some kind of pop ups that try and do that but you just don't get the magic for it. And the fact that they're all bespoke to the city and it's actually a story inspired by that place. I'd rather just have, I have 33, I could have like 330 by now had I like gone down that route. But I like the idea that there's. It's very curated and special and it shows. People do say that like they felt like they were in this treasure hunt story. Believability is so important to me that like, that's why a book is good. Jack Wells [00:17:29]: Because if you're following something about the Civil War and you're on a phone, it's just not. There's no believability to it. If you've got like an actual physical book, there's. It's kind of more like could be real. Tracy Collins [00:17:42]: Yeah. Jack Wells [00:17:42]: So yeah, I like that idea. Tracy Collins [00:17:44]: And I also like the fact you've got the book. You can take your time as well. So it's like, you know, if you do a walking tour often you've got to kind of keep up with the group and all that. When you're doing this, you're discovering this yourselves. You're solving the clues yourselves. If you want to sit down and have a cup of tea and a piece of cake at a cafe along the way, you can do that as well. So that's it. So it's kind of really well paced and you can. Tracy Collins [00:18:05]: You can kind of do, you know, do the day how you want to do it. Around. Around the. Around the story. Which works really, really well. I mean, to be honest, I was thinking before like you could. You could do this globally. I mean there's so many Africans. Tracy Collins [00:18:18]: For Paris would be amazing. For Rome would be amazing. Like because there's some. Sorry. But it's like there's so many amazing stories everywhere, you know, that you could. That you could cover. But I'm just so pleased that you're covering the uk. You've got one for Newcastle. Tracy Collins [00:18:30]: I'm originally from Newcastle. Jack Wells [00:18:31]: Yeah, I could detect a slight accent for the Newcastle. Yes. The Newcastle one is actually. That's a really interesting story as well. Do you know because. Do you know why Newcastle United are called Newcastle United States? Tracy Collins [00:18:43]: I don't. Jack Wells [00:18:43]: Because there used to be two teams and one went bankrupt and they kind of merged to become one team. And that's the origin story of that book. So like it's a football inspired one. Because I know that Newcastle are really into their football or soccer for your American audiences. Yes. So it's where the. It's kind of inspired by Newcastle United, the origin story of them. And you're on the hunt for a missing football. Tracy Collins [00:19:10]: Oh, okay. Jack Wells [00:19:11]: Yeah. Tracy Collins [00:19:11]: Okay. Another one I'm actually excited to do. Just thinking about kind of. I know for our listeners that the popular, very popular destinations, obviously London, Edinburgh is very popular. Cover that. York is another one. And I know you've got a. That's another one I'm planning to do. Tracy Collins [00:19:25]: I have to say that I'll be going to York soon, so. And I know York really well. But as I say, like for Winchester, I, I found places in Winchester that know about. And so I'll be looking forward to the same for York. Jack Wells [00:19:36]: Yeah, I mean York's got a good story as well because in the Gunpowder Plot someone tipped off that there was. That there was gunpowder underneath. But even to this day no one knows who wrote the letter. There's called the Monteagle letter. Someone sent. Yeah, you know, you're a history teacher, you know. Yes. But still no one knows who wrote that letter. Jack Wells [00:19:53]: And when you solve this crime, it's about who wrote that letter. So you kind of expose this, you completely. You solve this centuries old mystery. Yeah. Tracy Collins [00:20:02]: Wow. So that's excellent. Now I'm sure I've got loads of listeners thinking, oh yeah, we want to do some of these mystery guards in the uk. Are there practical things people should check or do before setting off on their Misregard adventure? Jack Wells [00:20:14]: So bear in mind you're going to walk about two miles. It's not a massive walk. You can take your time, you can stop and have drinks and things like that. I tried to make them as accessible as possible. Nearly all of them are accessible. I would say Edinburgh's not because. Just because of the nature of the town. It's so hilly and there's lots of steps but pretty much every other one is accessible. Jack Wells [00:20:34]: So if, if there is a problem with accessibility, we do say, we do provide alternative routes to the clues. If there's steps, we show a different way to get there. Lincoln's a little bit. It's got one major hill called Steep Hill, which you can't avoid. Tracy Collins [00:20:47]: And it's steep. Jack Wells [00:20:48]: It's called Steep Hill for a reason. But you have to go up it because at the top of that is where the cathedral is. So. And you have to get up there and the castle. So other than that, of the 33, I'd say 31 of them are accessible. Fully accessible. Comfortable shoes, obviously. Just the basics, you know, sun, cream, water. Tracy Collins [00:21:10]: Yeah, yeah. Jack Wells [00:21:11]: And I do provide a pen with it. So maybe, maybe bring a spare one just in case it runs out or something. But yeah, it's. I like to make it so that everything you have is in the mystery guys. So all. You don't need a phone, you don't Need Internet connection, Nothing like that. It's all physical stuff. Tracy Collins [00:21:26]: So what happens if you get stuck? Jack Wells [00:21:28]: Okay, good question. There is. You've got two options. Some people so stuck might be. There's building work up for a week, and it's blocking a clue. So you can scan a. This is when you can use your phone. You can scan a QR code on the back and you can see a photo of the clue. Jack Wells [00:21:44]: So you can still solve it. If you're struggling to actually understand the clue, there's extra help on the back page that basically leads you to the answer so you won't get stuck. I should say a few things about the clue. When I started out, they were quite basic, but now I've been doing it for seven years. I've got really. I've come up with some really imaginative clues now. So, for example, if I show you the Winchester one, this won't be visible to everybody, but there's stuff hidden in the picture on the COVID that are relevant to the. To the mystery. Jack Wells [00:22:13]: There's stuff hidden in the text of the book that you sometimes have to refer to. I use the book in all kinds of interesting ways. So there are three stages sometimes to a clue to work things out. And it's not just find a plaque, find a name, move on. There is nothing like that. It's not too difficult, but you need to go through steps. And there's some quite satisfying moments when all the letters come together. I want people to feel satisfied and a kind of a wow when it's done. Jack Wells [00:22:37]: Not just, okay, I've written down a name. That's not what I want to do. Tracy Collins [00:22:40]: So it's not. It's really fun. And that's what I. So I did the guide in Winchester with my cousin, who's a retired teacher, and it was really fun because it was like we found that sometimes I would solve the clues, sometimes she would solve the clue. Sometimes it was like the real kind of heads together and like, oh, thinking about it and as I say, like using the book as well. It was. It was. It was really. Tracy Collins [00:23:01]: Honestly, we. Absolutely. We thoroughly enjoyed it. Now you talk about what to give people adventures to treasure. And again, I was kind of talking about before when I used to be a history teacher and I used to try. I wanted. I wanted to give the kids lessons to treasure. You know, I wanted them to remember what. Tracy Collins [00:23:16]: There's the stories and love the history and learning about history. Jack Wells [00:23:20]: Yeah. Tracy Collins [00:23:21]: So what does that. That phrase mean for you, Jack? Jack Wells [00:23:24]: So we briefly spoke before we started this about when I was a kid and. Well, maybe we did at the beginning where my dad would take me out, right? And it was just like a treasure hunt. You'd go around and I was learning loads of history and I was having loads of fun. But it sounds cliche, but it's true. The real treasure in that is the time you spend with your loved ones. Right. So I look back, that was the best day I spent with my dad as a kid. And I still remember it vividly now. Jack Wells [00:23:51]: And I think I want other kids or other people to have the same experience so that when they grow up, they have the same feeling. Right? Because for me, it's normal. Actually, I grew up kind of doing that stuff, but not everyone did. And I realized that when I was doing this. Oh, you didn't get to do treasure hunts with your dad? Tracy Collins [00:24:07]: What? Jack Wells [00:24:07]: Like, that's odd, isn't it? But, yeah, it's not as common as I thought. So I really want people to look back on the time they did a mystery guide and go, that was such a great day. And together we laughed. We, you know, we. We just got to know each other really well, and it was a whole day of fun that I won't forget. That's important to be memorable. Like, there are a lot of activities to do that you may forget. But I want. Jack Wells [00:24:33]: I want it to be memorable. I think when we're at school as well, we do, like, Easter egg hunts and things, and you can't. You still remember, like. But I don't want that to disappear in the age of technology. I really don't want that to go. And it's not the same on a phone, I think. I think it's. It's way better when you. Jack Wells [00:24:48]: Because a book you can share together, you can literally share it, pay, you know, hold it together and work on it together. So. And also, I think the ending of an adventure is really important. They say with an experience, the ending is what. What you want to leave someone with a. Wow. So at the end of all these adventures, there's a kind of a moral twist that you walk away learning something nice. It's not like I never do subjects on, like, none of the treasure hunts are about murder or, like, bad things. Jack Wells [00:25:18]: Because with a crime, because they're all about crimes, there's a temptation to make the thief the bad person. Right. That you catch, but without ruining any. All of the treasure hunts, it's not necessarily a bad thing. You end up leaving with a real good feeling that it was for a good reason. Tracy Collins [00:25:40]: Yeah, no, it's good. And it's true what you're saying. It's because I, you know, I spend a lot of time traveling around the UK for, for researching for the podcast and for websites and, and that day out with my cousin Pauline, who brought the guide with her, she said, oh, I've got this, I've got this to show you. We just had, we just had the best day. And, and that's what I'm saying. It's like I did a lot of stuff that trip when I was back, but that one stands out because it was different and we thoroughly enjoyed it and I had such a good time, which is why I'm going down to Portsmouth to do the Portsmouth. They've done it before and they're like, no, we'll come out and do it with you again. Jack Wells [00:26:12]: Well, make sure you get in touch when you do, because I'm in port. So. Yeah. Tracy Collins [00:26:15]: Oh, yeah, we'll do. Tracy Collins [00:26:17]: I'll let you know. Tracy Collins [00:26:17]: Definitely. Now, who do you think mystery guides work best for? Jack Wells [00:26:22]: So I aim them at adults primarily. I mean, people do them as a family, so like 7 year old, plus they can come along and some clues they can do, some they might need help with. But I'd say generally adults. I mentioned earlier that locals do it and tourists do it. So it's kind of a mixture of the two. What I really like to do is surprise locals. That's my favorite thing. And so I write it, keeping in mind that locals are going to do it. Jack Wells [00:26:49]: So I have to surprise locals so it can't be too obvious. It has to be real gems that they would not know about. So it could be. You could be from anywhere, you could be out of town, you could know nothing about the city. You don't actually have to have an interest in history because the clues themselves and the kind of getting outside and just kind of working together, the gamification side of it is fine on its own. So when I mention what I do, people go, oh, that's a very niche thing. It's actually not that niche. It's very widespread, popular among adults. Jack Wells [00:27:18]: So I would just say pretty much everyone who likes a walk and likes a bit of fun and likes spending time with people. So, yeah, broad. Tracy Collins [00:27:27]: No, I agree. Actually, the podcast episode before this one, Jack, I meant to say I chatted, I do trip reports with people who've been in the uk and I asked what were some of the favorite things that they did and no prompting whatsoever. They did a mystery guide in Stratford and it came up and I went, oh, you Won't believe. I've talked to Jack next week, so. Yeah, so that was really interesting. So, again. So Stratford. I live near Stratford. Tracy Collins [00:27:49]: I should actually go and do that one now. Tell me what's coming next. You did mention you've got the. The Shrewsbury or Shrewsbury, whichever way you want to pronounce it. Jack Wells [00:27:56]: I did ask local people how they pronounced it. Tracy Collins [00:27:59]: Yeah, it's funny, it's always one of those ones that's like, is it Shrewsbury or Shrewsbury? Jack Wells [00:28:03]: Most people say Shrewsbury and I think if you're. If you. If you're a bit posh, you say Shrewsbury, but. Tracy Collins [00:28:07]: Well, I definitely won't. I'm from the North, Jack, so it's definitely Shrewsbury for me, that's for sure. So. So you've got that one soonish or. Jack Wells [00:28:15]: I won't be too soon because I've still got. I've got a lot of work to do on it, but the. All the groundwork's been done. It'll be. It'll be a few months, but I'm. I'm aiming on another London one this year, which would be good. You might be. I hate to say too much about where I'm going just because I changed my mind quite a lot and I don't want to disappoint people. Jack Wells [00:28:31]: But you might be pleased to know that Durham is on the list as well. Tracy Collins [00:28:34]: Oh, yes, definitely. Jack Wells [00:28:35]: And a few others. I'm hoping to do another four, maybe this year, but it's. Yeah, it's a lot of work and there's also the kind of. The running of the business as well at the same time. So there's a lot to manage. But I would love to do four new ones. I've just rewritten a couple of books as well. I spend. Jack Wells [00:28:52]: Because I like to make them. Like I said, I like to put treasure in and do things. So Bristol's relaunching this month, which is really nice. Tracy Collins [00:29:03]: Okay. Jack Wells [00:29:03]: Yeah. So there's lots going on and yeah, if you've got any suggestions for places you'd like to see, let me know because I do like to get suggestions. Tracy Collins [00:29:13]: I will do. Well, if anybody's listening and there's somewhere you've checked out the website and see where Jack's covered already and you're thinking, oh, I'd really like one for this place. Then get in touch with Jack. I'm actually good. This is a bit left field for you, this one, but I'm going the island of Iona at the end of next month. I'm just having a few days on Mullen Iona. Bit of solo travel. And Iona is full of stories. Tracy Collins [00:29:35]: Absolutely. Love Iona. Where is Iona? It's in the Hebrides of Scotland. Yeah. Mull, Iona, Skye, Lewis, Harris. All the way up there. Yeah. Jack Wells [00:29:45]: Well, I get a lot of people ask me for places I've never heard that before. So I'll put it on the list. Tracy Collins [00:29:52]: There you go. Now, for somebody planning a trip and considering a mystery guide, what's the one tip you'd share to help them get the most out of their experience? Jack Wells [00:30:00]: I mentioned earlier that the story is really central to it. I put a lot of time and effort into the story and I think it's tempting to kind of do the clues and rush to the next clue, rush to the next clue to try and get there. But my suggestion would be make sure you read the story and follow the story because that's where the magic is. That's where like the moral is, that's where the twist is that so. And that's the thing that I spend most time doing and I want, I just want to make sure people do get the most out of that bit. Then you get the nice twists as well. So you wouldn't get that otherwise. You still get a good day, but you wouldn't get the nice moral twist at the end. Jack Wells [00:30:34]: And I would say as well, like, this is basically life advice. I would say, like, take your time, enjoy it as you go, because if you rush through, you forget to soak it up and enjoy. So spend, enjoy the time you're spending with the people you're with and the place you're in, regardless of, you know, the weather or whatever, just enjoy it. That's. That's a bit of life advice at the end. Tracy Collins [00:31:00]: Brilliant. Oh, thanks so much. I'm so glad that you came on and could to share mystery guides with our UK travel planning audience. I'm really excited to hear the feedback that we get because I just know that people are going to absolutely love them, really, really love them. So thanks so much. Jack Wells [00:31:15]: I also love to get feedback. So if people do do it, then let me know how you get on and. Because I get emails all the time from people and I read them all and it does make me really happy. It's what it's all about, you know, it's. I did. I never thought it was going to be as big as it was and as far reaching as it was. So every single time I get someone say they enjoyed it, it's fabulous to me. Tracy Collins [00:31:38]: Thank you so much, Jack, for joining me on this episode of the podcast. I just absolutely love the concept that you came up with and everything you shared today just makes me want to go out and do more mystery guides. I just absolutely love them. Now head to mysteryguides.co.uk to browse all the locations and find the right guide for your trip. I will put the link in the Show Notes as promised. Here is your exclusive discount code for 15 off just for UK travel planning listeners and our community. It is UK TP15. That's UK TP15. Tracy Collins [00:32:12]: And just a quick practical note, if you're listening from outside the uk, Mystery guides currently need to be purchased within the uk, but as Jack mentioned, many visitors simply have the guides delivered to their accommodation in advance. Now all the details and the discount code are in the show notes. Thank you so much for listening. As always, do share this episode if you have friends or family who are planning to visit the UK and would like love to do something like this. Honestly, the mystery guys are so much fun I can't recommend them enough. But that just leaves me, as always, to stay until next week. Happy UK Travel Planning Tracy Collins [00:32:48]: thank you for tuning in to this week's episode of Tracy Collins [00:32:50]: the UK Travel Planning Podcast. Tracy Collins [00:32:52]: As always, Show Notes can be found@uktravelplanning.com if you've enjoyed the show, why not leave us feedback via text or a review on your favorite podcast app? We love to hear from you and you never know, you may receive a Tracy Collins [00:33:06]: shout out in a future episode. Tracy Collins [00:33:08]: But as always, that just leaves me to say until next week, Happy UK Travel Planning.