"The Chances of Anything Coming from Mars...."

 Groups going through the immersive experience of War of the Worlds gathered first in the bar at the entrance.  We were in the purple group, and were told to gather when the purple smoke billowed out of the Martian war machine that loomed over the bar.  

The organisers, Layered Reality, were very careful about Covid prevention.  Everyone in the group was masked (the actors were not masked), and the first actor to introduce us to the proceedings handed out eye masks so our skin did not directly touch the virtual reality goggles we had to put on at various stages in the proceedings.

Participants in the show have to have a certain level of fitness - there was a very tightly curved spiral staircase at one point, and a slide.  The various rooms we were led to were on two levels, and there was also a rope and wooden slat bridge at one point.

Also, we were led by a soldier to a house where we could take cover from the Martian war machines, and had to climb through a window.  As I hitched up my long skirts, I said: "I hope you're not looking at my ankles!"

I think my favourite part was as we escaped by boat, starting on a canal bordered by autumn trees, which led to the Thames with war machines looming on either side, and then out to the North Sea for the Thunderchild episode, all the time with Jeff Wayne's soundtrack in our ears.  I was singing along quite loudly.

After that, we were taken to a survivors' reception centre which was also the interval bar, where we could catch our breaths and drink our Red Weed cocktails (previously paid for) before we went on to further perils.

The visuals for the city underground were dizzying - we were sitting down and looking up to where it was all projected onto a domed ceiling at that point.

There's a photo opportunity at the end, and then we staggered out back to the bar, to applause from everyone who was there because we had survived!

And then there was the gift shop, and a quiet drink before we headed home (Trumans IPA).

It was all great fun, in the way that mild peril can be, and we thoroughly enjoyed it.