This is what the Sunday Times said this week as part of their 50 best summer days out article
20. Treasure trails, Norfolk
The brief is this: a flask of extremely powerful sleeping gas has been unearthed during construction work in Bircham. Unless the deactivation code is found, the toxin will be released, plunging the whole of Norfolk into a deep sleep. (Will anyone notice?) Your mission is to use your bike to find the clues and save the county. It’s terrific fun, and just one of hundreds of similarly offbeat adventures — on foot, by bike, in the car and even by boat — offered around the country by Treasure Trails (01872 263692, treasuretrails.co.uk). You pick your county, pick an adventure, pay a fiver and download the mission brief. Then, when you’ve completed the trail, you email the code word back to the company for the chance of winning up to a grand.
Wednesday, 30 June 2010
Wednesday, 23 June 2010
New Trails
We've now written two new Trails which we are really pleased with. One is a 3 mile walking or cycling Trail which runs along the river at Symonds Yat. The Facts: In around AD 900 the Viking Army of Eric, The Blood Axe, landed near Chepstow, crossed the Forest of Dean and set up base at Symonds Yat. The Fiction? An ancient map was discovered recently which may shed light on where Viking treasure is buried. Can you solve the clues to find the location of the Viking booty?
The Trail did really well at the Three Counties Show at the weekend and we sold lots of booklets. Wonder how many sales we missed out on by not writing it earlier!
On the other hand, we also launched a new Trail called Old Hereford at the show and we sold NONE of them.... and I thought Old Hereford would be a catchy name which would attract people to it! It is however, a lovely Trail through the old bits of Hereford and the back story is that many years ago, when rumours abounded that the Vikings were coming, the Herefordian monks collected up their most precious manuscripts and chalices and hid them in a place that has never been identified. Can you be the ones to unearth it?
Both Trails are in the Treasure Map format and to celebrate their launch, we will send one of each through email to the first 3 people to contact us by email to amanda@treasuretrails.co.uk and then await your feedback to see which one you like best.... bearing in mind that David wrote one of them and Amanda wrote the other and regular readers of this blog will know how competitive we are!
Tuesday, 22 June 2010
New Website, New Trails, New Licensees
There is so much that has been happening that its difficult to know where to start!
New Website
We have a brand new website which is fresh and exciting and hopefully more logical for the customers than the old one. The website has the same address as before www.treasuretrails.co.uk but is far better optimised and has more functionality. We are delighted with it. However, its an ongoing item on the to do list because we've learnt that its no good leaving it to lie fallow now, but we need to constantly add and refresh the pages to ensure it stays high up in Google's ratings and rankings!
New Website
We have a brand new website which is fresh and exciting and hopefully more logical for the customers than the old one. The website has the same address as before www.treasuretrails.co.uk but is far better optimised and has more functionality. We are delighted with it. However, its an ongoing item on the to do list because we've learnt that its no good leaving it to lie fallow now, but we need to constantly add and refresh the pages to ensure it stays high up in Google's ratings and rankings!
Thursday, 3 June 2010
Marketing the business
There is so much to be done in marketing the business and so many ideas to choose from its hard to know where to start!
I went on a course run by Business Link called How To Get Results from your Marketing, Easily! It was run by Rob Lowell of Sales and Marketing Ideas Ltd & it was great - there are as I said, lots of ideas! Translating them into actions is harder and actions that are cost effective or have the ability to be measured and so work out the return on investment is difficult to! Finding the time is proving tough to even do the simplest of things! Take this blog for instance. Its been weeks since I did an entry and I've also been asked to provide a guest blog for a local BnB which is fab news, but what do I say and when do I get around to doing it and how will I know that its been a good use of my time!
I haven't even followed up the leads of great people I met on the course.....so FOCUS is the key I think and therefore this afternoon I am going to:
1. Write a press release about our two new Trails due to be launched at the Three Counties.
2. Follow up on the leads I picked up at the Marketing Course.
3. Write that guest blog
4. Empty my email inbox!
But first..... LUNCH! Or perhaps a quick peek in Twitter.... I have now have 671 followers and the latest tweet I wrote said "Best Hereford things on a sunny day? 1. Walk around a pretty market town. 2. Enjoy a cider in the sunshine. 3. Do a Treasure Trail"
I went on a course run by Business Link called How To Get Results from your Marketing, Easily! It was run by Rob Lowell of Sales and Marketing Ideas Ltd & it was great - there are as I said, lots of ideas! Translating them into actions is harder and actions that are cost effective or have the ability to be measured and so work out the return on investment is difficult to! Finding the time is proving tough to even do the simplest of things! Take this blog for instance. Its been weeks since I did an entry and I've also been asked to provide a guest blog for a local BnB which is fab news, but what do I say and when do I get around to doing it and how will I know that its been a good use of my time!
I haven't even followed up the leads of great people I met on the course.....so FOCUS is the key I think and therefore this afternoon I am going to:
1. Write a press release about our two new Trails due to be launched at the Three Counties.
2. Follow up on the leads I picked up at the Marketing Course.
3. Write that guest blog
4. Empty my email inbox!
But first..... LUNCH! Or perhaps a quick peek in Twitter.... I have now have 671 followers and the latest tweet I wrote said "Best Hereford things on a sunny day? 1. Walk around a pretty market town. 2. Enjoy a cider in the sunshine. 3. Do a Treasure Trail"
Tuesday, 11 May 2010
Twitter Press Release
I can't believe it really - I sent in a press release to the Hereford Times, way back at the beginning of March and it was printed at the end of April - just shows that they do keep things tucked away for when there is a space! Anyway, here it is!
Friday, 23 April 2010
End of the Week...
..... and another busy day in the Treasure Trails Herefordshire & Worcestershire office.....
Newsletter has been sent out to 322 subscribers!
Retail order has been packaged up and sent out to Harvington Hall (its a restock which is especially exciting).
Bespoke Trail request has been responded to and a meeting set up for next week.
Decision taken on advertising with Ideasforkids - we will!
Stock take done and an additional 100+ Trails ordered from the printer, hopefully getting here in time for next week's shows
Preparation done for next week's shows - the boxes of equipment were a mess since the last show we did at Xmas
Telephone conversation with Bewdley TIC - hopefully they are going to order a stock of local Trails, but no decision yet
Office tidied up for the weekend and writing this blog is the last thing on my Friday to do list!
Newsletter says....
Happy Bank Holiday
As I write this letter the sun is shining and the long range forecast for the bank holiday weekend is good. Three days of rest and recreation for many of you hopefully ~ what are you going to do with them? We are at the University of the Great Outdoors being held in the beautiful grounds of Hampton Court near Leominster and have set up a Treasure Trail around the site, which we'd love you to come and do.
However, you spend your time at the weekend, we hope you have fun and get out and about in the fresh air!
Trail Experiences
Our new Treasure Trails neighbour in Gloucestershire has been writing Trails and we've had the opportunity to test two of them. Cheltenham and Bristol Waterfront - both really interesting towns and some wonderfully cryptic clues to find. I did the Cheltenham one in the rain on my own and the Bristol one with a friend in glorious sunshine, and thoroughly enjoyed both which just shows you can have a great time whatever the weather! Guess which one I liked the best though!
Everyone has a tale to tell and we'd love to hear yours.......the first five of you to let us know what your day was like when you did one of our Trails, will have your story posted on our blog and we will send you a thank you voucher worth £5.00.
Click to read the Treasure Trails Blog
Shows and Fairs
Next Wednesday, 28th we will be at the Spring Gardening Show at Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire in aid of the Red Cross. A must for all enthusiasts of gardening and the outdoors, this popular event features more than 80 quality stalls. As well as being able to roam the castle and grounds, including the magnificent arboretum, visitors can buy plants for the garden, the terrace, the conservatory, the pond, the woodland garden and the wildflower meadow oh, and a Treasure Trail or two!
On Saturday and Sunday of the bank holiday we will be at The University of the Great Outdoors at Hampton Court, Herefordshire. If you are looking for fun, adventure, excitement or just something different, this two day festival is the event for you. The wide choice of taster sessions gives you the opportunity to try out a range of activities gathered together in the spectacular gardens at Hampton Court. This is your chance to try a brand new ‘extreme' sport on the Brush Ramp, the only one of its kind in the world (at the moment). Ride your board down a ramp of rotating brushes, with Pro Riders who will demonstrate this new sport and help you learn the moves. This year, there will also be a demonstration by the English Blind Football Team, a prelude to the World Blind Football Championships in August 2010. Look out for our Treasure Trails' Bee Trail set around the grounds of the Festival.
On Bank Holiday Monday, we will be The Dilwyn Show - a first for us. Called a Grand Day out for All the Family, the show is at Fields Place Meadow and promises to be a fun day with a horse and dog show as well as numerous stalls. We'd love to see you there especially as the proceeds go to local charities including the Acorn Children's Hospice and Leominster's Riding for the Disabled.
We hope to see you at one of the above shows, but in the meantime, have a relaxed and happy Bank Holiday!
David & Amanda
Newsletter has been sent out to 322 subscribers!
Retail order has been packaged up and sent out to Harvington Hall (its a restock which is especially exciting).
Bespoke Trail request has been responded to and a meeting set up for next week.
Decision taken on advertising with Ideasforkids - we will!
Stock take done and an additional 100+ Trails ordered from the printer, hopefully getting here in time for next week's shows
Preparation done for next week's shows - the boxes of equipment were a mess since the last show we did at Xmas
Telephone conversation with Bewdley TIC - hopefully they are going to order a stock of local Trails, but no decision yet
Office tidied up for the weekend and writing this blog is the last thing on my Friday to do list!
Newsletter says....
Happy Bank Holiday
As I write this letter the sun is shining and the long range forecast for the bank holiday weekend is good. Three days of rest and recreation for many of you hopefully ~ what are you going to do with them? We are at the University of the Great Outdoors being held in the beautiful grounds of Hampton Court near Leominster and have set up a Treasure Trail around the site, which we'd love you to come and do.
However, you spend your time at the weekend, we hope you have fun and get out and about in the fresh air!
Trail Experiences
Our new Treasure Trails neighbour in Gloucestershire has been writing Trails and we've had the opportunity to test two of them. Cheltenham and Bristol Waterfront - both really interesting towns and some wonderfully cryptic clues to find. I did the Cheltenham one in the rain on my own and the Bristol one with a friend in glorious sunshine, and thoroughly enjoyed both which just shows you can have a great time whatever the weather! Guess which one I liked the best though!
Everyone has a tale to tell and we'd love to hear yours.......the first five of you to let us know what your day was like when you did one of our Trails, will have your story posted on our blog and we will send you a thank you voucher worth £5.00.
Click to read the Treasure Trails Blog
Shows and Fairs
Next Wednesday, 28th we will be at the Spring Gardening Show at Eastnor Castle, Herefordshire in aid of the Red Cross. A must for all enthusiasts of gardening and the outdoors, this popular event features more than 80 quality stalls. As well as being able to roam the castle and grounds, including the magnificent arboretum, visitors can buy plants for the garden, the terrace, the conservatory, the pond, the woodland garden and the wildflower meadow oh, and a Treasure Trail or two!
On Saturday and Sunday of the bank holiday we will be at The University of the Great Outdoors at Hampton Court, Herefordshire. If you are looking for fun, adventure, excitement or just something different, this two day festival is the event for you. The wide choice of taster sessions gives you the opportunity to try out a range of activities gathered together in the spectacular gardens at Hampton Court. This is your chance to try a brand new ‘extreme' sport on the Brush Ramp, the only one of its kind in the world (at the moment). Ride your board down a ramp of rotating brushes, with Pro Riders who will demonstrate this new sport and help you learn the moves. This year, there will also be a demonstration by the English Blind Football Team, a prelude to the World Blind Football Championships in August 2010. Look out for our Treasure Trails' Bee Trail set around the grounds of the Festival.
On Bank Holiday Monday, we will be The Dilwyn Show - a first for us. Called a Grand Day out for All the Family, the show is at Fields Place Meadow and promises to be a fun day with a horse and dog show as well as numerous stalls. We'd love to see you there especially as the proceeds go to local charities including the Acorn Children's Hospice and Leominster's Riding for the Disabled.
We hope to see you at one of the above shows, but in the meantime, have a relaxed and happy Bank Holiday!
David & Amanda
Monday, 19 April 2010
Variety
What I love about managing the Treasure Trails license for Herefordshire and Worcestershire is the sheer variety of every day!
Today is a good example.... I have worked on the challenge pages for a personalised Trail we are putting together for a hen party coming to the area in May.
I have written up all the testimonials we received over the last week into our new website and captured the names and email addresses into our customer database.
I have also written up our April newsletter ready to send out to our customers! I have cleared a high proportion of emails and as a result of re-reading the one from Business Link I have signed up to go to a half day seminar on Marketing.
I have tweeted of course!
I have welcomed a new Treasure Trails colleague and got to know them a little bit better - they are managing the Lancashire and Greater Merseyside area.
I have discussed our plans for adding Twitter and other contact information to page 7 of the Trail booklets now we have the new Text Line in place!
I have processed all the orders that came in over the weekend.
I have embarked on amending our Kingsland Trail so that it can be published and I am about to do a stock take in time for our show next week at Eastnor Castle.
Phew, after that lot, I think I'll have a rest, make a cup of tea and get the washing in!!
Today is a good example.... I have worked on the challenge pages for a personalised Trail we are putting together for a hen party coming to the area in May.
I have written up all the testimonials we received over the last week into our new website and captured the names and email addresses into our customer database.
I have also written up our April newsletter ready to send out to our customers! I have cleared a high proportion of emails and as a result of re-reading the one from Business Link I have signed up to go to a half day seminar on Marketing.
I have tweeted of course!
I have welcomed a new Treasure Trails colleague and got to know them a little bit better - they are managing the Lancashire and Greater Merseyside area.
I have discussed our plans for adding Twitter and other contact information to page 7 of the Trail booklets now we have the new Text Line in place!
I have processed all the orders that came in over the weekend.
I have embarked on amending our Kingsland Trail so that it can be published and I am about to do a stock take in time for our show next week at Eastnor Castle.
Phew, after that lot, I think I'll have a rest, make a cup of tea and get the washing in!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
