Sensas

Discovering the unexpected powers of our senses

Seeing is believing they say – but can you believe what you are seeing in this photo? How can some people be sitting or lying down in a Tube carriage while others are apparently defying gravity by standing on the ceiling? The truth is the carriage has been built on its side.

It’s just one of the sensory challenges enjoyed by some of Eu3a’s Adventurous Activities group on a recent visit. Our first test was using our eyes to solve various puzzles. No big problem there. But the next challenge centred on touch when we were shut into a darkened room which sparked mild hysteria among some of the group.

Suffice to say we upheld the honour of Elmbridge and passed the touch test with flying colours, but we didn’t do so well on the smell test. In a darkened room we were offered 30 different smells. I think we only got two right!

We might be senior citizens but why should the kids have all the fun?

Next came the ball pit where we had to find a series of objects. However, it was more entertaining to pelt each other with the balls. We might be senior citizens but why should the kids have all the fun?

Finally, we entered a laser room in which we had to manoeuvre without breaking a beam. Only one of us managed it! Our guide said the record is held by an eight-year-old lad who zoomed round in eight seconds! He then confessed that he’d never managed it despite many attempts!

Mark Dowdney