When Ellie Goudie's brother Ryan died aged 23, she could not bear the thought of anyone else having his belongings. Instead, she paid to smash them to pieces. Armed with a baseball bat in a Swindon rage room, Ellie destroyed some of the possessions Ryan had left behind, including his beloved television, saying it helped her cope with the pain of losing him.
He can't have it any more, so no one should," she said. For Ellie, the experience was about far more than breaking objects. He probably was doing it with me," she said.
"I'm glad I've done it for him." Ellie is one of a growing number of women turning to rage rooms, where customers pay to destroy household items with baseball bats and crowbars in a controlled environment. Operators say many visitors are seeking an emotional release during some of the most difficult periods of their lives, including bereavement, trauma, relationship breakdowns and stress. At The Rabbit Hole Rage Room in Swindon, owner Paul Bunney said about 70% of customers are women.
He said he sees a visible change in people after they come out of a session. "Some people are quite reserved when they come in, and then when I go and speak to them after they have a big smile on their face." he said. "They're hot, they're sweaty, and they've got rid of a lot of emotion." Visitors travel from across the region to take out their rage on objects that were destined for landfill, like printers, crockery, hifi systems, kettles and old wine bottles.
Paul said materials are often separated and recycled afterwards. For Ellie, the attraction was the sense of release she felt after months of grief. "You're taking out your anger and you don't have to talk," she said.
"It takes away the emotion for the good hour or so you've got in here. And then you feel a relief when you come out A similar story has emerged at another rage room in Bath. Charlotte Bagnall, who runs Raging Bath, said what began as a fun attraction had developed into something much more meaningful.
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