When Halloween arrives, you know it's Autumn. The clocks have gone back, it's dark when you get out of work, and for me there's an extra excitement to getting home and shutting the curtains on the cold dark evenings.
Our Halloween began a few days ago, with a visit to one of our favourite attractions, the Babbacombe Model Village. Spooky illuminations and scary scenes had been set up especially for the occasion, and the residents of the tiny town were really getting into the spirit. At the end of one road, the Addams Family house has popped up, whilst on the village green, locals have gathered to witness the burning of the Wicker Man. Elsewhere in the town, it's a standard Hallows Eve, the brilliant illuminations of the city centre every bit the equal of London or New York, with the added twist of being under attack by giant spiders. Truly, a spooky little city.
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| The Addams Family house |
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| Burning the Wicker Man |
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| Merrivale city centre |
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| Attack of the giant spiders! |
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| Spooky happenings in the abbey ruins |
For Halloween proper, Lizzie and I were up in Surrey, and ventured to Secretts garden centre where they have put on their own pumpkin pick. A tractor trailer ride is the only way to get to the site, taking us through many muddy fields completely unsuitable for walking. Up on the higher land, the pumpkins have grown in abundance, and range in size from the tiny to the enormous. Signs around the park explain that, due to the poor summer weather, many of the pumpkins have not turned orange, but this just adds an air of uniqueness for me as we walk off with one orange (ish) pumpkin, and one very definitely green fruit.
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| Fields of pumpkins |
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| Lizzie's pumpkin |
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| A successful harvest! |
To the evening, and amongst the spooky snacks we've bought for the day, two sugar mouse cookies from Lizzie's mum! Our afternoon has been spent carving our beautiful pumpkins, both of us coming up with sinister designs. This is such a fun activity, not just because of the creepy characters you get to meet, but also because of the delicious pumpkin soup you get to make from their scooped-out insides. On a cold, wet, windy evening, this is a warming treat. As for our new friends, they will get pride of place at the front gate, warding off evil spirits and hopefully keeping our house safe for the night.
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| Sugar mouse cookies |
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| Halloween treats |
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| Our handsome "jacko-lanterns" |
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| Who's the prettiest? |
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| Warming pumpkin soup |
This blog would like to wish everybody a fun and spooky Halloween!
I'm going to say the handsome devil in the middle:p xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
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