A year spent in lockdown meant I was itching to get out so, obviously, I volunteered to be locked inside a church crypt in Ryde with my husband.

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I haven't spent enough time with him in the last eighteen months. Really, I haven't.

While he and I had argued over who got the best home-working space and made the next cup of tea (always him), community project Aspire Ryde was creating care packages and picking up prescriptions.

Its amazing volunteers delivered shopping and hot food and the charity led the way when it came to supporting those left reeling by the challenges of Covid-19.

Now, launching The Lost Crypt Ryde, the UK’s first live escape room set inside a real church crypt, Aspire Ryde is finally able to do something future-focused. And what a something it is!

What can I tell you, without giving the game away?

Isle of Wight County Press: Aspire Ryde, on Dover Street. The Lost Crypt Ryde is below the church.Aspire Ryde, on Dover Street. The Lost Crypt Ryde is below the church.

Well, the challenge is based on the final resting place of Dr James Lind.

The naval surgeon was born in 1716 and died in 1794, leaving questions about his final resting place.

Could he be buried in the family crypt, in the depths of Aspire Ryde's church building, along with daughter-in-law and benefactor, Elizabeth Lind?

You have sixty minutes to find out.

My husband fancies himself as a bit of a cryptologist (codebreaker, not crypt expert) and this week, he finished a crossword.

I'm not sure how much good it did us.

While we rocketed (From The Crypt?) through some of the puzzles, others left us stumped.

Thank goodness for the in-crypt phone and a couple of very handy and well-timed clues.

In the end, they took pity on us - which is probably why we're not still locked in.

George Henderson and his partner, Bobbie Hoogendijk, are the creative duo behind The Lost Crypt Ryde.

They designed it to play on all your senses and test your ingenuity.

The couple are based in Austria, where they run two successful escape rooms, but George went to school on the Isle of Wight and the pair got involved through a mutual friend - and Aspire Ryde volunteer - Jan.

They hope The Lost Crypt Ryde will be a rather ingenious way to help bring in funding.

George said: "We had months of planning.

"As soon as the Covid-19 restrictions were lifted, we brought our creative ideas over and got to work."

The escape room will run as a business - hired by groups of residents, friends, tourists and colleagues - and the money it makes will be ploughed straight back into the charity's vital community work.

Trevor Nicholas, Aspire Ryde CEO, acknowledges it is a unique approach to fundraising, after sixteen months of providing vital support.

"We had to make a decision at the point when the pandemic hit, as to what our approach was going to be," Trevor told me.

"We felt we ought to try and help the community."

After Covid-19 'Freedom Day', this future-forward project delves deep into the history and heritage of the Holy Trinity church building on Dover Street.

Isle of Wight County Press: Aspire Ryde has inspired the community through Covid-19.Aspire Ryde has inspired the community through Covid-19. Trevor said, "A couple of us batted around the idea of an escape room.

"It's a really nice use of an authentic space.

"It's a different way to engage with the community.

"Not only does it give a wider audience to what we do, but it's also good to have fun.

"Why shouldn't charities do something that is innovative and exciting?"

I can testify that The Lost Crypt Ryde is both of those things and more.

Co-designer George says the escape room is about future-proofing - for both Aspire Ryde and projects like his.

"You can't rely on government grants so if we can make a little bit of difference here, that's a good thing," he said.

"I want people to take away a sense that they've been somewhere else for an hour.

"They walk into another world, have a lot of fun solving the puzzles and leave feeling like they want to do another one."

This was my first escape room and the second time my husband has done one.

He loved this one best and I want to do another.

You will need two or more players and four to six is recommended.

It is family friendly, but you will need two adults to join children aged eight and above.

Engage with local heritage, leave with a better sense of the sheer breadth of work at Apsire Ryde but, says Trevor, "primarily, have a great time."

Was it frustrating in a good way? Tick. A bit creepy? Tick. Excellent fun? Absolutely.

In fact, I came out feeling like I could take on Poirot.

Cryptic clue? Nope. You'll have to try it for yourself! Good luck.