The Crystal Maze - Enter and play the Maze at home (Full game here)

 

I know, you've missed the Maze as much as I have. Well why not give this Virtual Crystal Maze Team Challenge a go with friends and family? You must download all of the PDF files first, and then open them - otherwise the game will not work. You cannot just open the PDF files. 

Download the free virtual online game here: The Crystal Maze - Virtual Team Challenge

It works using zoom with other friends/family members. A preview of the game is below:

Don't forget, you can watch the first three original series of The Crystal Maze on Britbox as well. 

The exponentially growing popularity of The Crystal Maze

It has been quite amazing to see the enduring popularity of The Crystal Maze through the pandemic. There was a surge of online zoom escape room challenges, one of which appeared on Dragons Den: https://trappedintheweb.com/escape-rooms 

There was even an online virtual Crystal Maze activity set up by the live experience, along with another Maze themed online game that raised funds for the NHS.

We read some good news today. The live experience will be welcoming back full teams of eight again from 19th July. Slowly, the world is getting back to normal. 

I must say, we do miss the TV series right now. For now, repeats will have to suffice. (Original and new series).

Meanwhile, we have started working on building a YouTube Channel for our blog. We will let you know when it becomes live.

We hope all our readers have been keeping well.  Random fact - did you know the last episode of Series 3 of the original Crystal Maze aired 30 years ago yesterday? You can watch it here: https://youtu.be/2bXZuaxKfSE 

What's got me through lockdown, is Richard O'Brien randomly writing to me last September and wishing me well from New Zealand. I'm still over the moon about that.

Anyway stay safe, and keep winning Crystals. Neil.

What's Kept Me Busy, and Done Wonders For My Mental Health, in a Bizarre Era - @cultaholic @howling_techie @kasuds @flukesnotskill

 Mental health is a funny thing. It can be as predictable as it is unpredictable. It can be your defining trait or it can be two words that nobody ever associates with you. My mental health has never been close to being tip-top but, over the course of the pandemic, it hasn't been as erratic as I'd expected. A lack of things to do meant a lack of stress, which in turn meant I've done relatively well over the last 16 months. However, I know that that hasn't been the case for everybody. Some have struggled under the circumstances and many haven't coped. 

One thing that's really helped me over the last year and a bit has been volunteering. Keeping myself occupied in a stress-free manner, helping out someone else, giving those in need an extra pair of hands for a bit of heavy lifting and someone to talk to. There's been a local project where I've been helping out, mostly in a production aspect for some broadcasting online, but there's a lot that goes on in that building. Unemployment projects, talking therapies, a food bank, and there'll soon be a diner/cafe type thing on the go. A bit of everything that anyone could find something to do, things that they wouldn't mind giving up a few hours of their time for. You get to know people, you're doing something productive with some hours that'd you'd otherwise spend sat on your arse in front of a screen.