Extreme sport? Pick axes!
If you're seeking a day out with a difference this summer then two Fakenham businessmen have axe-actly what you're looking for.
Derek Hill and Geoff Hillier opened Axes and Escapes, on Tattersett Business Park, last month following a career changing trip to America.
The pair and their wives were holidaying in Las Vegas when they decided to take a trip to an axe throwing range.
Mr Hill said he enjoyed it so much he wished there was something similar in England, and that's when the duo decided to set up their own axe throwing and escape rooms business.
He said: "We went to Las Vegas with our wives and while we were out there we did axe throwing and some escape rooms as well. We absolutely loved it.
"As we were chatting to the fellas and, as we were leaving, I said to him it's just a pity there is nothing like this over in England. One of the chaps turned around and said 'Why don't you build one?'
"That's when the little light came on over my head and having been an electrician for 25-years, I thought 'Why not, let's do it'."
Their Maniaxe Axe Throwing offers a 90-minute experience with a short safety briefing and tutorial of basic throwing techniques.
The four techniques include underarm throws, overhead, double overhead and the face splitter, where the axe is pointing towards your face before you throw it.
"A friend of mine brought her mother for her 75th birthday and she didn't have the strength to manage any of the overarm throws, but the underarm throw she was absolutely brilliant at," said Mr Hill.
"We dubbed her the Queen of the Underarm. She had such a graceful style, it was like it was magnetic, the axe just floated towards the target and stuck in.
"As part of the axe throwing we staple cards to the targets to offer you something else to throw at and she got it within about two throws.
"From the previous day, I had been down to Hunstanton and we won a pack of tiny cards from the 2p machines.
"I went and got one of these cards and stapled it above the card she just split and walked back down, turned around, and she got it straight down the middle of the tiny card.
"She loved it, she threw for about an hour and a half and then she went back to her church group and told them all about it."
Axes and Escapes currently also has two escape rooms and is in the process of building a race room, which should open within a few weeks.
The escape rooms take on different themes including a school classroom, horror and spy, and escapees are encouraged to solve puzzles and riddles using clues and hints inside the room to ultimately solve their escape.
Mr Hill said: "We are building two more escape rooms which are race rooms. There is two sets of rooms which are exactly the same with exactly the same puzzles.
"There will be two groups of people who can be work colleagues, friends, family or anyone else, split into two teams.
"We put them in at the same time and then they race each other through the rooms.There is interaction between the rooms as they go down as well. They will be spy themed.
"We are going to be holding a tournament on its open day and will be putting it out on the escape rooms forums for anyone to come along and try out."
They are open seven-days a week from 10am to 10pm during school holidays and from 12pm to 10pm at all other times. Both activities are suitable for anyone aged 11 and over.
To book or for more information, visit www.axesandescapes.co.uk, email derek@axesandescapes.co.uk or call 01485 528353.
And to check them out on Facebook and Twitter, search 'axesandescapes'.
