SHOW NOTES for Episode 5 with Tim Carter
(Bespoke Treasure Hunts in Brighton)
INTRODUCTION
Welcome back to Inspirations from Brighton podcast, episode 5!
In this episode, we’ll be talking with an amazing creator and owner of the local treasure hunt company, The Black Cat Treasure Hunts, Tim Carter.
Tim will be sharing all things you need to know about treasure hunting, about his most popular personalised treasure hunts, you will hear it’s not only about pen and paper, but his treasure hunts are often a fun adventure, and Tim will also reveal the secret behind the Black Cat. So take a seat, relax and enjoy our conversation.
This episode is on Spotify
YOU CAN ALSO WATCH THIS PODCAST ON YOUTUBE
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT TIM AND HIS WORK
EPISODE 5: INSPIRATIONS WITH TIM CARTER
K: Hello Tim, welcome to the Inspirations from Brighton podcast. How are you today?T: I’m very well, thank you. Thank you for having me—I really appreciate it. It’s great to be here.
K: Thank you for joining us today. Could you please introduce yourself and share a little bit about your background? I imagine there are many people who may not have heard about you or your work, so feel free to tell us more.
T: Hi, I’m Tim. I was born in a village near Lewes in Sussex. I went to a boarding school in Kent and then returned to Sussex, where I worked for a bit before going to university in Chichester. I studied a sports degree—it was actually the first time the university offered that specific course. That gave me a pathway into working in sport and leisure.
I had a 25-year career in that field, doing all sorts of different things. I was happiest working on events, whether they were sports-related or other leisure activities.
After that, I had a short stint managing school premises, but that wasn’t as successful—it didn’t quite suit me. When I left, I started looking for another job. I considered franchises and found one for treasure hunts, but unfortunately, the Sussex territory had already been taken. I thought, “Oh no, what should I do?” because it seemed like a perfect fit. I enjoy creative writing, and as I said, my favourite part of working in leisure was running events. It just felt right.
Then my sister, who lives in Brighton, said, “Why don’t you start your own company?”—and I took it from there.
So, I set up my own treasure hunt company called Black Treasure Hunts back in 2012, and that’s really how everything came together.
K: That’s great! So did you work for a company that created treasure hunts before starting your own?
T: No, I started it from scratch. I was still employed at leisure centres at the time. When I decided to make the move, it was a big leap into self-employment with the treasure hunt business. I was nervous because I wasn’t sure it was really “me,” if that makes sense. But I thought, if you don’t try, you’ll never know.
K: Of course.
T: I’m really pleased I made that decision because I really enjoy it. Everything I create is entirely down to me, so you succeed or fail based on your own work.
K: I see—that’s a good approach. Just to clarify, we might have listeners who’ve never come across this fun and educational game called a treasure hunt. Could you explain what it involves and what typically happens during the game?
T: Sure. I’m based in Sussex, but the treasure hunts I create cover the whole county. There are different styles of treasure hunts, but the ones I do usually involve walking around a specific town, city, or village while answering questions that guide your route.
I also design more detailed hunts that include taking photos and videos as part of completing challenges along the way. It’s a fun and engaging way to explore and discover a place.
On my website, there’s a wide selection of towns, cities, and a few villages across East and West Sussex. Whether you’re a tourist or a local, you can download a hunt and explore somewhere new—or even familiar—in a different way. I try to find quirky or interesting features to build routes around, things that might not be in the typical guidebook.
K: Would you say it falls under the category of tours as well?
T: Yes, in a way. A lot of people who do the treasure hunts are trying to explore a particular place. I look for things I think they’ll enjoy seeing—whether it’s a historic site, a landmark, or something fun like Brighton’s street art.
The treasure hunts can serve as an alternative to more formal guided tours. They might pass by places a tour guide would include, but I also try to take people down streets or into areas that typical tours might skip.
Sometimes, especially in Brighton, people tell me, “I’ve never seen that street before,” or “I didn’t know that was there,” and that makes me happy—especially when it’s a local who says, “Oh, that was fun,” or “I learned something new.”
So yes, it has an element of a tour, but I try to take it a step further and offer something fresh and unexpected.
K: That’s great. You mentioned they can print it—does that mean the treasure hunts are self-guided?
T: Yes, there are a couple of options. On the website, people can download a PDF and print it off to do it themselves. When completing it, they can either jot down answers and check them later on their computer, or do it all on their phone and input answers as they go.
For more detailed hunts, they can also ask me to be involved. I can mark their progress either in person or remotely through WhatsApp, depending on what they prefer.
So yeah, there are several options for how people can complete their treasure hunts. If they do it on their phone, they can see whether their answers are correct immediately and get points as they go.
K: That’s nice. And in terms of themes, what kinds of treasure hunts do you currently offer? What can people find on your website?
T: That’s a really good question. I’ve tried to come up with a variety. I’ve mentioned the online ones—the downloadable versions. Those are aimed at tourists or visitors exploring a place for the first time. They’re quite straightforward, or they can add a bit of fun to a regular walk for locals. They usually include multiple-choice questions and are instantly accessible.
Then there are the personalized ones, which are much more detailed. I include photos and information about the people taking part. For those, people usually contact me via email or phone. I do them for hen parties, team-building events, and language schools.
I’ve also started introducing themed treasure hunts. One of them is a Cluedo-style hunt, inspired by the board game, where the answers are hidden along the route. There’s also a murder mystery version, which is popular for team-building or hen parties. I create an original storyline and sometimes include the participants as characters in the mystery, all set around a specific location. They’re really fun to create.
I’ve also explored hunts using other forms of transport. Recently, I had an inquiry about one on a bus—you can do them in taxis or with a mix of transport, depending on the group.
K: That’s really great! And does it involve any special clothing? Do people dress up for the treasure hunts?
T: Yeah, you get some wild ones! It’s usually the hen parties, but not always. They often come dressed in themed outfits or colour-coordinated clothes. I had a pirate-themed group this summer—that was pretty amusing. I tailored the route to pass by pirate boats and added some pirate-themed challenges for them.
Others keep it simpler with colour themes to identify teams, or they might bring props. One of the best ones I did was for a team-building event with a group mostly from Russia and Kazakhstan. They worked in professional services—law or accountancy—and were based in London. They wanted to visit Brighton on a two-day trip and used the treasure hunt as a way to explore the city.
K: That’s such a good idea.
T: It really was. A few weeks before, we had everything sorted, and then they decided they wanted a “dual hunt”—so part of it was in Seaford, where I live, near the Seven Sisters Cliffs, and the other part was in Brighton. It was a nice combination.
They also sent me a storyline they’d written, which they wanted me to read out before the hunt started. It helped them split into two teams. I memorized it and didn’t think much of it—until a few days before the treasure hunt when they said, “Oh, we’ve sent you…”
That was your original question about fancy dress. They said, “We’ve sent you some stuff in the post—we want you to dress up as well.” I asked, “Okay, what are you talking about?”
They said, “We’ll have two teams. One will be the Dark Witches or Wizards, and the other will be the Light Witches or Wizards. We’re all going to dress up, and you can wear what we send.”
A few days later, I received a dark cloak in the post. I looked a bit like the Grim Reaper in it. I thought, “Well, this is fun!”
I met them in Seaford, halfway up a golf course on quite a steep hole near the end of the course. It was a windy summer day. I was waiting for them when I saw the group walking toward me. First came the women, all dressed in long, flowing dresses with intricate beaded decorations on their faces—they looked fantastic. I did wonder if it was slightly inappropriate for a treasure hunt, but they looked amazing.
Then the men followed, looking more like warriors from a film set—maybe Game of Thrones. They had serious expressions and really looked the part.
When they got to me, I tried to stay in character. They reminded me I had a speech to deliver, which was meant to set the scene for a battle between the Dark and Light Witches.
So there I was, standing in my dark cloak, trying to be serious. Meanwhile, golfers were walking past us, probably wondering what was going on. I began my speech—dramatic and mysterious—when suddenly the wind blew my cloak open. Underneath, I was wearing a black T-shirt with a orange Nike tick on it.
One of the women pointed and said, “Oh, I see—the Dark Wizard of Brighton – this is how they nick named meis sponsored by Nike!”
Everyone burst out laughing. I started laughing too—it totally broke the mood of the speech.
I quickly tried to recover and said, “Well, you know, Nike is the Greek goddess of victory, which is the whole point of today’s challenge.” She was a bit taken aback, and the rest of the group applauded the comeback—it really set the tone for a fun day.
Later, I met up with them again at a picnic near the Seven Sisters, and afterward in Brighton, where I’d hidden clues around the city. They were still dressed in their outfits—warrior gear, flowing dresses—and so was I.
They were roaming through Brighton looking for clues, and we definitely attracted a lot of attention. They even had a professional photographer snapping photos the whole time. It was a lot of fun.
K: That’s such a nice story.
T: Yeah, it was a lot of fun.
K: I was going to ask which treasure hunt has been the most successful, but it sounds like that one might be the most memorable!
T: Okay, it wasn’t quite as impressive in terms of dressing up as the previous one I mentioned, but I had another event earlier this year that stood out.
It was based in London, in a club. Before I went out there, I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to work. It was indoors, but they’d hired out five small rooms. It was this woman’s 50th birthday—a celebration.
Because she owned a jewellery business, she gave me a theme: gemstones. I remember thinking, “Oh no, what am I going to do with that?” But then she said, “Don’t worry. I’m asking everyone to dress in a shade of green on the night, because my name is Jade.” Obviously, jade is a shade of green and also a gemstone, so it all came together nicely.
I themed all the questions around gemstones and assigned each room to a different type of jewellery. I included small challenges and created a story for each room. It took some time to come up with the questions and structure, but they later sent me photos from the night—and they looked great in a totally different way. Everyone was dressed in varying shades of green, which gave it a beautiful sense of unity.
It was quite different from the other treasure hunt I talked about earlier, where people wore a wide mix of outfits. This one was more cohesive and coordinated.
That just gives you an idea of how diverse the treasure hunts can be. One was indoors and contained, while the other was outdoors and open. The themes were completely different, but both were a lot of fun to create. Each one ends up being very unique.
K: You mentioned London. Does that mean you don’t only work locally, in Brighton or Sussex? Do you also run treasure hunts in other cities?
T: Great question. I am based in Sussex, and I’d say that’s definitely where my expertise lies. I was born here, I’ve lived and worked here, and I studied here—my whole leisure career was based in Sussex. So the website covers all the towns and cities across Sussex.
That said, over the years, I’ve had inquiries from people outside the area. I advertise through Visit Brighton, which markets the city, but their reach extends to people visiting from elsewhere. Sometimes I’ll get messages saying, “We can’t get to Brighton, but we’d love to do a treasure hunt in London,” or other cities. So, London Treasure Hunts is something I’ve been developing over the last four or five years. At the moment, I’ve got three main areas in London where I’ve designed adaptable treasure hunt routes: Shoreditch, Westminster, and Camden.
In addition to those, I’ve also created treasure hunts in places like the V&A Museum, the British Museum, and Hyde Park. And of course, there’s the one I mentioned earlier that took place in a London club. Most of these have been for team-building events, but I’ve also done a few birthday hunts, which have been great fun.
Some of them I’ve marked remotely. We used WhatsApp—people would send me photos and video clips as they progressed through the hunt, and I’d be at home in Seaford tracking and scoring their responses. So even from a distance, it still feels very interactive.
London is definitely the primary location I work in outside of Sussex, but I’ve gone further afield as well. For example, last year I did a treasure hunt in Norfolk at a yoga retreat. It was a private booking for a large family gathering. I travelled there a few weeks before to plan everything. Because it was a self-contained site, that made it easier to set up. I placed clues and challenges all around the retreat, then sent them the materials so they could run it themselves. That was really enjoyable—a nice chance to work in a completely different environment.
Occasionally, when it’s worth the travel, I’ll go further afield. This year I went to Cambridge, which was lovely. Last year, I also created a hunt in Canterbury. That was a lot of fun because, like Brighton, it’s quite a compact city, so you can include lots of clues and historical landmarks close together. That makes the experience more dynamic and enjoyable for the participants. I really enjoy travelling to different places when the opportunity arises. It gives me variety and a fresh challenge, and it keeps the work interesting.
K: That’s great—and also for your clients, it gives more flexibility. If someone is based in a different city, they can still approach you, and you’re happy to take it on.
T: Exactly. It does depend a bit on the group size or the nature of the event. Larger groups often make the travel worthwhile. But sometimes I get smaller groups who just say, “We want you—just do your thing.” That’s lovely because they trust me to design the treasure hunt and build it around them or a particular theme. It gives me creative freedom to tailor the style and challenges to suit their group or occasion, and I really enjoy that side of it.
Like I said, I mentioned the gemstones theme, so that was a lot of fun just. Playing around with whatever I see. Sometimes you can see something when you did. When I do my visit, I think that would make a good question, or that would make a good challenge cantered around something I’d seen as, not something I’d planned for in advance.
There was one group that came to Brighton a couple of months ago from a company based in London. I think many of them were working remotely, so it was a great opportunity for team bonding. The woman organizing it told me, “These guys are really intelligent—they’re investigators working in legal disputes.” So, quite high-level people. She said, “Can you make sure the questions are really tricky? And it wouldn’t be the worst thing if they got a bit lost around Brighton.”
I laughed when I read that and thought, “Alright, I’m going to go all in.” I decided not to give them as much help as I usually would. The questions were cryptic and designed to really stretch their thinking. Normally, I give quite a bit of guidance—like whether to turn left or right—but for this one, they had to work it all out themselves. They needed to solve the clues just to know which direction to head in.
It was a lot of fun. I was there on the day, so I had to make it achievable, but definitely not too easy—I didn’t want them finishing in just an hour and a half. It was a good example of something a bit different.
K: Yeah, I was going to ask—apart from that group, is there anything unusual, fun, or surprising you’ve experienced with other groups?
T: Absolutely. The business ones are always interesting because each group has its own character. I usually avoid asking about their specific work experience because I want to take them out of their professional mindset a bit. But I do encourage them to share personal info—things they like or dislike, unusual achievements, funny quirks—and usually a few photos.
Some people don’t want to get too personal, and instead give me a theme to work with, like we discussed earlier. But even then, I’ll often throw in a few left-field questions related to their profession—just to see if they’re paying attention.
For example, this year I had a group of vets from Chichester. They said, “We’re happy just doing a standard treasure hunt—teams, competition, you do your thing.” I love Chichester, and I’ve got a great route there. But I wasn’t going to let a group of vets off without sneaking in some animal-themed tasks!
So, I asked them to take a video with other people’s pets they saw along the way. One challenge was to find the happiest-looking dog on the route.
K: That’s cute.
T: Yeah, it was great. I also asked them to take photos of the animal they related to most as a team. They came up with some really funny entries. I was sitting there waiting for them to return, getting all these photos on my phone—cute dogs, grumpy-looking cats—and I had to judge which ones were the best. It was hilarious and gave me just as much fun as it did them.
That’s what I love—the variety. A few years ago, I worked with a well-known hotel group that came down to Brighton for a conference. At the end of the event, they wanted a classic treasure hunt—just exploring the city and learning a bit about it. That’s the kind of stuff I do regularly, and it always works well.
So, I thought, great. I did that for them, and they really liked it. They said, “We’d like you to do one for our guests in London.” And I’m thinking, oh, okay. I mean, I’ve done the sort of regular touristy things in London like anybody else, but I wouldn’t say—at that specific time—I hadn’t developed the ones I’ve sort of mentioned. At that stage I said, “Look, I wouldn’t say I’m an expert in London at this point.” And they said, “Oh, don’t worry about that. We’ll give you a route, but then it’s down to you to come up with all the questions and challenges and add your own skills to it.” So, I thought, okay.
They were based near the London Eye. So, I went up to the hotel and started from the London Eye, which was nearby, and worked out a circular route that went through Westminster and across a few bridges—Downing Street, Houses of Parliament, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey—all these well-known places. There were soldiers doing the Changing of the Guard, Trafalgar Square, The Strand—so there was lots of stuff. In fact, the hardest thing for me was knowing what to leave out rather than what to put in. So that was so much fun. I gave them this treasure hunt, and then they gave it a house style for their hotel and used it for their guests. That was really nice. It’s nice to have that.
And that kind of gave me the impetus to create a special one for Westminster, and then I added those other ones I mentioned earlier.
K: Hmm, well yeah, I must admit that you are a very creative person with lots of fun ideas!
T: Oh, thank you! I mean, it is so much fun that once I see something, I get excited to do it. So that makes it a lot easier.
I’ll do some research in advance if it’s somewhere I haven’t been before—or if I’m going back to somewhere in London, for example. I’ll do quite a lot of reading if I’m not sure of a good route, rather than just wandering around aimlessly thinking, “I hope I see some good questions.”
Sometimes with the London ones—because they can be a big area and might divert outside my usual routes—I’ll read up on those new areas, just to make sure I know what I’m doing or to give myself ideas for where good questions could be. But it’s so much fun, because I’m thinking, “There should be some good questions down here.” And when you see them, it’s great. It kind of makes me smile when I see the good stuff.
With the more local treasure hunts in Brighton and around Sussex, I’m more confident finding things I’ve seen before or adding new questions. Obviously, the best part of the Sussex treasure hunts tends to be the hen parties. Everyone’s so different—they all send totally different information about themselves. That allows me to create unique challenges for each group based on the random things they’ve shared. It keeps it fresh for me and makes it easy to be creative. I just pick out the best bits of what they’ve said and run with it.
K: Makes sense. Are you currently working on a new treasure hunt?
T: Yeah. Things tend to be busiest at the start of the year—I’ll get a lot of inquiries for later in the year. But throughout the year, different types of requests come in.
At the moment, I’ve had some inquiries about using hop-on, hop-off buses, which would be a new format for me. So I’ll have to do some research—figure out where they stop and start. I’ll definitely need to try the route myself several times, getting on and off the buses to see how the whole experience would work. When you get a request like that, you really have to be on the ball—figure out how long it’ll take, how many times people will need to get on and off, that kind of thing. The person who inquired has actually given me two possible versions: one route from Saltdean to Brighton, and the other from Brighton to Hove. So that’s definitely going to challenge me—something completely new.
Over the course of this year, I’ve also developed some new themes. One of them was based on a TV programme—I think it was called Race Across the World. So I created a Brighton version a Race Across Brighton version. I had an inquiry from someone asking if I could do that, and it was great timing because I’d already been thinking of doing something similar. I kind of tested it out on them. That one was a bit different from my usual treasure hunts. It had fewer questions, and it focused more on finding specific places around Brighton, with cryptic clues to guide them. It turned out really well.
Sometimes, a specific booking will inspire a whole new theme, and I’ll think, “You know what? I could offer this to a wider audience.” So I’ll keep it in mind for the website. The Race Across Brighton version isn’t on there yet, but I think it could work well. I’ve also now added a murder mystery version to the site, and there’s a Cluedo-style one that wasn’t originally listed—it actually started as an idea from a client request. I ended up thinking, “Other people would enjoy this too.”
As for the bus one—it’s definitely different, but if it works well, I’ll try to include it somewhere on the site too.
K: Sounds exciting—and I’m sure it will go well!
T: Yeah—it’s got to!
K: And if our listeners would like to try one of your treasure hunts or take part in a team-building activity, where can they find you? Do you have a website or social media?
T: Yeah, there are a few ways. For the online treasure hunts—which are the lowest cost and let you download everything and go off exploring Sussex yourself—I’ve got a website: www.blackcattreasurehunts.co.uk. At the top, there’s a tab called “Sussex Treasure Hunts,” and you can click on that to see all the different locations you can visit.
We also talked about the personalized treasure hunts—for things like team-building or hen parties. You can contact me directly for those. My email address and all the details are on the website too. We usually exchange a few emails to tailor everything properly.
I’m on social media as well. On Instagram, which I mainly use for sharing fun photos of groups out on treasure hunts or places I’m scouting for new clues, my handle is @blackcattreasurehunts2012.
On Facebook, I post updates, share blogs (which I write monthly or sometimes twice a month), and talk about what’s been happening. Just search for Black Cat Treasure Hunts on Facebook.
And then I also post occasionally on X (formerly Twitter), though I’d say Instagram and Facebook are my favourites. But all the key information and how to contact me is definitely on the website.
K: That’s great. I’ll include all the links to your website and social media in the show notes so people can find them easily.
T: Yeah, that’s perfect. Thanks!
K: And my last question: Why are you actually called Black Cat Treasure Hunts? What’s the story behind the black cat?
T: That’s actually a really good question. When I decided to set up the treasure hunt company, one of the big decisions was choosing a name. I had a few other ideas, and I ran them past family and friends. Some were quite good, but none of them really felt right.
At the time, before launching the website, I was going around different places trying to come up with routes—getting a few locations ready to go live with. One of the first places I went to was a beautiful little village in East Sussex called Alfriston.
While I was walking around looking for clues, this black cat started following me. Honestly, it looked like I was trying to steal it! I’d walk down one road to check out a new clue location, and the cat would follow me. I’d cross over to the other side of the village—and it was still there. It just wouldn’t leave me alone!
I remember thinking, “Okay, maybe this is a sign.” It was such a distinctive, random moment that it stuck with me. And the name Black Cat Treasure Hunts came from that.
K: That’s such a great story!
T: And it kind of just followed me around. I remember thinking, “This is a bit embarrassing—hopefully the owner’s not watching me being stalked by this cat!” But anyway, I finished up what I needed to do for the treasure hunt in Alfriston, and when I got home, I thought, You know what? That would make a great name for the business. It’s catchy, it’s got a little backstory, and “Black Cat” is seen as lucky here in the UK—especially if one crosses your path.
It also made for a good logo, and of course the story of the black cat following me is 100% true. It all just came together really nicely. And funnily enough, I’ve had people come across the site and say, “Oh, I actually love cats!” or “Your name made me smile—that’s why I chose you.” So for what might seem like a silly or quirky name, it’s actually been a great decision. I’m really glad it happened that way.
K: That’s such a great story—and thank you so much for joining us today. It’s been lovely to chat with you, and thank you for sharing so much insight.
T: Oh, thank you! I really appreciate the chance to talk about what I do. And I’m especially excited that we were able to combine your Brighton guide with one of my treasure hunts—there’s a great crossover between exploring the city’s history and doing something interactive like this. I’m actually heading out later today to test the Brighton route again, so that’ll be fun.
K: Fantastic! And before I let you go, I always finish by asking five quick-fire questions, just for fun—so our listeners can get to know you a little better.
T: Go for it.
K: Okay, first one: What’s your favourite colour?
T: Probably red. Favourite football team, so yeah, sticking with that!
K: What places do you love to travel to most?
T: Ooh, that’s tough. I’ve been really lucky to travel a fair bit. The furthest I’ve been is probably Malaysia—I stayed with a local family on the island of Penang, which was incredible. I’ve also been to Canada—Ottawa, and then down to Niagara Falls on the US border—and Mexico as well. So yeah, those three are definitely highlights. I love travelling though, especially around Europe too.
K: Sounds amazing. What’s your favourite food?
T: Now you’re really testing me! I love food—probably Italian or Chinese. But when I was in Mexico, I tried loads of local dishes there too, which were delicious. So I’d say one of those three cuisines would keep me happy.
K: And finally, are you reading anything at the moment?
T: I do enjoy reading, although I go through phases. The most recent book I read might make you laugh—it was actually for a friend of mine who’s an author. He asked me to read and review his latest book, which is aimed at 10 to 13-year-olds. It was a time travel adventure, and honestly, it was great fun! Aside from that, I enjoy thrillers and historical fiction—anything that mixes a bit of mystery with the past.
K: So, a nice variety there. Great! And what’s your favourite animal?
T: Ooh, that’s a tough one. I mean, I like dogs. I used to be more of a cat person, but now I’d say I’m more into dogs. If we’re talking about animals beyond regular pets, I think tigers are incredible—so powerful and noble-looking. But yeah, overall, I’ll go with dogs.
K: Brilliant. Thank you again for coming on and sharing your story. Best of luck with your upcoming hunts—and the bus challenge!
T: Thanks so much! It’s been a pleasure.
K: Same here! I’m a dog person too.
K: Well, thank you so much, Tim. I wish you a beautiful rest of the day, and thank you again for joining us.
T: Thank you so much for having me. It’s been great!
THE END OF THE EPISODE
We are at the end of this episode of Inspirations from Brighton. Thank you so much for joining us. If you have any comments or suggestions, or if you If you just want to reach out, please get in touch with me via my website travelbrighttours.com where you can also find show notes for today’s episode. If you enjoyed the show, please share the podcast with your friends and family and don’t forget to subscribe and review the show.
Thank you so much and as always, I look forward to share inspirations from Brighton with you very soon.