Introduction
It was around a year ago that Scare Directory was born. I thought there were many websites that documented all sorts of attractions but Scare Attractions had a very small place on the internet. There were already some good review websites out there but what I hadn’t seen was a website that documented the attractions in more detail. For example what mazes do they have? What other activities are available? Public reviews etc. The ideas swirled around my head and slowly the idea of a Trip Advisor style website sprung to mind. Many website names went in the bin. Scare Advisor, Scare Database until I settled on Scare Directory.
The next challenge was building the website. I had built silly little websites when I was younger about random hobbies and the like but had never built a proper website with a content management system (CMS). So I spent the Christmas break of 2019 learning how to build and implement a fully functional database-driven website.
Over the year the website has had two or three different layouts, settling on what it looks like today. The database has grown to try and cover every UK attraction. This is no mean feat, keeping on top of attractions around the country and the news about all of them at first was quite challenging but as time has gone on the team have got into the swing of things and we have a good idea when to expect various pieces of information.
The website started with just me (Ashley) but is now run by a team of three people who were brought into the Scare Directory family over the year.
2019 was Steven’s first proper year in scare and just over six months ago, he started looking for some potential events to visit over Halloween. One of the few websites he found that listed and reviewed events was Scare Directory, and it was because of this that he found out about his first event of the year Scream Camp. In his excitement of finding out about Scream Camp, he had no idea that it had already sold out ages ago, but he tried his luck and thankfully they were able to squeeze him in. That’s how, by complete coincidence, on a still slightly sunny evening in mid-July on the moors above Oldham Steven and I met. We got chatting as we made our way to camp and as the only two solo participants that evening we shared a tent and stayed in touch afterwards. Since Steven was already planning a mammoth Halloween road trip as an enthusiast, I asked if Steven would be prepared to help contribute, and as someone who enjoys writing, Steven was more than happy to help.
Josie and I have been friends for a number of years but for one reason or another scare attractions had never quite come up. It was after posting a picture of the Psychomanteum aftermath at the Scare Kingdom Valentine’s event when Josie became curious and decided to come along to the next iteration of Scare Kingdom on Walpurgis night. Josie well and truly got the bug, coming along to a number of other events throughout the year and writing reviews for the website.
Year in numbers
The team went all over the UK to visit as many attractions as possible up and down the island as far north as The Edinburgh Dungeon and as south as Tulleys Shocktoberfest
Events/Attractions
The team went through 170 scare mazes and experiences across 64 different scare events. We clocked up almost 15,000 miles on the road (thankfully a large proportion of this was from a zero tailpipe emission car)
Social Media
The year started with essentially zero followers on each platform this has now expanded to:
1,232 Instagram Followers
272 Facebook Followers
126 Twitter Followers
I hadn’t expected this kind of growth in the first year and Instagram, in particular, exceeded expectations. Engagement has also been great with a number of posts getting over 100 likes.
Website
I didn’t know what to expect with regards to website visits. As this is a new website in a particularly niche area, but within the first year, we have had 3,249 unique users with a clear peak in interest leading up to Halloween.
Thoughts on the year
The team have experienced a lot over the year. The attractions and shows have taken on many different forms so we thought we’d have a fun look back at a few standout experiences.
Highlights
It’s such a cliche, but we’ve enjoyed so many great events this year, that it’s really difficult to start singling them out without writing a massively long list.
Fear at Avon Valley was quality from start to finish, with only a couple of less than stellar runs, but a well run, fun event throughout.
On a smaller scale, but no less brilliant our multiple visits to Walsall were amazing, and seeing the changes between Halloween and Christmas events were superb. The ‘Face It Alone’ ScareTOUR/ScareCON Christmas special was probably the most memorable single maze we did all year.
Last up, is a smaller budget attraction based in a temporarily converted Quasar and Escape Rooms in an old factory in Warrington. Evans Haunted House was a completely unexpected gem. Evans Haunted House is unlikely to be competing with say, Darkest Depths, in the set design and effects front, but what it lacks here is more than made up for with the utterly relentless acting team through the nice variety of theatrical scenes, free-flowing mazes and escape game ‘lite’ scenes. We thoroughly loved this attraction, and can’t wait to return in 2020. Hats off to Craig and the team.
Lowlights
Well, there’s the obvious Strangest Things in Blackpool, but despite how bad it is, it keeps a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ appeal, and our very low expectations were met.
On the more traditional side of things, We have a couple of others. Spooky World had some inconsistencies with actors, long dead spots in many of the longer mazes and a poorly judged finale to the hayride. Given that the clown maze was pretty good, with some focus and coaching, I’m sure it could improve things massively.
Another was Frightmare, the weather was horrendous, so we were surprised by just how busy it was on the evening we went. Because of the crowds, the batching wasn’t great with groups of up to 20 going in together and it rapidly turned into a continuous conga line leading to the scares sadly being very few and far between.
It’s also worth mentioning Yorkshire Scare Grounds here, this attraction has brilliant queue line entertainment and some fun sets including the hotel but on both visits this year it fell a little flat with lots of dead spots and a number of instances where the scares missed parts of the whole group all together. Saying this though the year has been incredibly strong which has set the bar substantially high.
Scariest
While the team don’t get particularly scared in attractions they are often happy to brave them alone. Two attractions definitely ‘got’ the team good with jump scares aplenty. This was Walsall Scare Maze – House of Heinous and V I T A N O V A at Fear at Avon Valley both of which caused us to shout and scream a lot.
Most Original
Incubus by Tom Sawyer Effect at Vaults Festival. This was a good solo experience and one where VR elements are used effectively and meaningfully through the story. All three of Darkfield’s events are amazing in what they can do with half an hour in a pitch-black shipping container as well. We should also mention Unwrapped from Faceless Ventures which well and truly immersed the audience in the concept.
Best Set
Darkest Depths at Alton Towers Scarefest with superb design throughout that really sold the narrative of the maze. Also not the most polished, but we loved the ‘large’ childhood toy section of Horror at Hinchingbrooke House.
Best Actors
This is a difficult one to narrow down as there were so many great acting teams all over the country. The team at Walsall were brilliant and we have to mention the troupe at Evans Haunted House, there were so many of them and they were relentless at providing a great variety of scares.
Best Effects
There were some strong effects this year, standouts for us were the finale of Walsall Scare Maze, the angel at Scaresville, the lift in X4 at Fear Avon Valley and the wrecking ball in the prison within the Singularity at York Maze Hallowscream.
Best Facade
This has to go to Wastelands Penitentiary at Tulleys Shocktoberfest The sheer size, theming, lighting and fire effects blew us away.
Most Thought-Provoking
Two clear winners, Scream Camp the Ritual, a suburb production highlighting many aspects of mental health as well as Cruelty which got the audience to question their own use of social media.
Best Food
It has to be Psycho Path. There was a good choice from some really great food trucks. We’ll have to try a Parmo next time We’re up that way. Fear at Avon Valley also had some memorably tasty BBQ as well.
Best Entertainment
The Ice Show at Traumatica, and the street team there performing impromptu battles between the factions was superb.
Most Intense
Scream Camp and Quietus Horror were both intense and brilliant but in very different ways.
Grossest
Two attractions stand out to us as being the grossest the first being Psychomanteum – Goremet Café especially for the sausage scene (you will understand if you visited) and Scream Camp: The Ritual for one very smelly blindfolded moment, whilst we still had loads of raw egg and shell dripping down our hair, face and necks.
Messiest
Another two that are hard to choose between. HVRTING, especially the summer edition and Quietus Horror both of which had an abundance of blood.
Smuttiest
Psychomanteum in all its incarnations, although Pitch Black: The Final Sin at Contained Liverpool had its moments.
Funniest
Killer Clowns in a Supermarket at Dr Frights. This maze was bonkers and so much fun throughout.
Weirdest Experience
Having to drag a group of young women through X4 as they were too terrified to let go of Steven’s arm. One of the scares caused them all to drop to the floor almost dragging him down with them.
Best Experience
Meeting all the great people in the scare industry. It’s such a wonderfully open and friendly community, full of people with a shared passion for all the weird and wonderful scare attractions that as an enthusiast are a delight to enjoy. We feel lucky to have met some great people who enjoy the same daft stuff that we do.
A bit of fun
Best Services
Extra Cambridge for the sheer selection of food and Moto Forton Services (N), a clean, hot shower after Scream Camp and before a trip to Blackpool Pleasure Beach. Worth the 20-mile detour to get rid of the stench of vinegar.
Worst Services
Welcome Break Hartshead Moor (W), some of the toilets at 5 am on a Sunday morning were reminiscent of that scene from Trainspotting.
Best Motorway
M6 toll, expensive bliss or any of the autobahns travelled in Germany.
Worst motorway
M6 and M1 traffic and roadworks an absolute mess.
Best Accommodation
The Airbnb we stayed at in Marr was superb value, great host and bonus booze, food and drink. Perfect for a visit to Mexborough. A close second was the Dormero Design Hotel in Rust, Germany. Quirky and decent value if you fancy a trip to Europa Park, great breakfast too.
Worst Accommodation
The accommodation was all quite acceptable the Travelodge in Washington Southbound was probably the least favourable but this still wasn’t that bad.
Worst Drive
Late-night Fear at Avon Valley to Huntingdon. Followed by an all-day workshop the next day. As well as a trip to Them Below in Croydon from Steven’s home in North London, 18 miles away. It took a shade over two hours.
Conclusion
It’s been an absolutely fantastic year. A big thank you has to go out to all the attraction operators, creatives, actors, reviewers and fans. Here’s to another great year in 2020.
