I was leary of Mayhem - I'd heard some mixed things, but only later realised that not all of the paintballing places named Mayhem are actually run by the same guys. What a relief! This place is actually legit.
Having never been paintballing before, I don't have much to compare it to, but overall there was little to be unhappy about. Whilst organisation occasionally felt shambolic at the beginning, that was more a reflection of how hard it is to herd stag do attendees and the like, rather than the marshals' lack of organisation.
Marshals were friendly, clear and safety-conscious. They were extremely clear about not taking off helmets at any time, and were reassuringly hard-line about this. They were accommodating and helpful throughout.
The variety of scenarios was good - we didn't even get to try all of them, even thoguh we were there the entire day.
Facilities besides the arenas aren't the best, but then expectations are very low - it's a paintballing outfit on a farm, so toilets of questionable quality was always going to be a risk. On the plus side, whilst I dreaded how bad the food would be, the burgers were actually edible and nobody got food poisoning, so I consider that a fairly high bar set.
Really easy to get to as you just take the Central line to Theydon Bois and then they send down a shuttle coach frequently. Couldn't ask for it to be easier.
It also seemed to attract a good crowd; the regulars, at least, were all really nice/helpful and didn't do the kind of eye-rolling and snorting at the rookies that you might expect.
All in all, it felt like what a good paintballing place should, at least to this first-timer. I'm certainly intending to return. read more