Friday, 25 October 2024

31 Days of Halloween: Day 25


Bit of a quieter day than yesterday! We have a lot of things planned for tomorrow, so today was mostly just about taking things easy and getting ready for the weekend.

Toffee Apple Cookies



A nice seasonal treat for a quiet day.

Thursday, 24 October 2024

31 Days of Halloween: Day 24


Busy day today, because we had a big Halloween event on at work, and I was performing at it!

Pumpkin



There were some pumpkins left over from another event at work yesterday, so I was offered one to take home. Admittedly, we already have seven at home... but I just can't say no to a pumpkin.

A Nightmare on Nelson Street 2: Emmeline's Revenge




Tonight was the annual Halloween event at the Pankhurst Centre. I led a walk around Nelson Street (where the museum is located), telling stories of its history and the history of the infirmary that surrounds it. Then we returned to the museum, and I gave a talk entitled 'Suffragettes and Werewolves'. It was kinda weird, but also kinda nice, to return to female werewolves after so long. A bit like a homecoming.

Wednesday, 23 October 2024

31 Days of Halloween: Day 23


Today was a bit of a busy, but absolutely lovely, day of Halloween celebrations.

Bailey’s Wood Halloween Story Walk







This morning, I led a Halloween Story Walk for Friends of Bailey's Wood. The kids who came along were so creative and imaginative, looking for clues about the identity of the creature who lives in the woods. Ultimately, they concluded that there's maybe... just maybe... something wrong with the trees. Gulp.

Campfire Tales at Castlerea Care Home




I did my regular poetry and stories session with the residents at Castlerea Care Home this afternoon. On a whim, I thought we might honour the spooky season by telling scary stories. We lit a campfire, gathered round, and started telling stories. I told some of my favourite urban legends (The Killer on the Back Seat and The Vanishing Hitchhiker), and the housemates invented a story about a ghost in the care home. We also listened to some classic Halloween songs (although we had to temporarily turn off the campfire to do that).

Uchiki Kuri Squash Curry



Squash season continues with Uchiki Kuri!

Tuesday, 22 October 2024

31 Days of Halloween: Day 22


Another day of celebrating Halloween!

Halloween Cupcake



Nothing says Halloween more than a ghost cupcake.

J is for Jeepers Creepers



Carrying on our A-Z of Horror with Jeepers Creepers tonight.

K is for King Kong



And then back to a classic with King Kong. Not gonna lie... this was an odd double bill.

Monday, 21 October 2024

31 Days of Halloween: Day 21


Today was mostly about work meetings, so there wasn't any time for celebrations. I had to just grab little bits of seasonal joy when I could.

Mushrooms in the Park





One of my meetings was in the park, so at least I did find time for a bit of mushroom spotting.

Sunday, 20 October 2024

31 Days of Halloween: Day 20


Today is a very special day in our calendar, a solemnly observed annual tradition.

Pumpkin Day!







That's right! It's Pumpkin Day! This is the day when we go to Dunham Massey Farm Ice Cream and pick our pumpkin for the year. It's one of our favourite things to do at Halloween. Of course, I say pumpkin as if it's singular... this year, we ended up with seven (though four of them were tiny). And then we had pizza!

Spooky Scavenger Hunt





There was a Spooky Scavenger Hunt among the remains of the sunflower trail this year, so we had a little wander and spotted some mildly unsettling scarecrows.

Pumpkin Spice and Sunflower Ice Cream



Can't come to Dunham Massey Farm without having some ice cream. I got my usual Pumpkin Spice (of course), but this year I also had a scoop of Sunflower, which was gorgeous.

Apple Crumble



Rounded off the day with one of Rob's signature apple crumbles.

Saturday, 19 October 2024

31 Days of Halloween: Day 19


It's Day 19 of our Halloween celebrations, and I had a couple of community events today (followed by a couple of horror films).

Pumpkin Earrings



Wearing my new pumpkin earrings today!

Late Autumn Walk in the Park




I led a Late Autumn Walk in the Park today for Friends of Crumpsall Park, talking about seasonal traditions, nature and folklore.

Samhain Walk in the Woods





And then straight after that, I headed to Blackley to lead a Samhain Walk in the Woods for Friends of Bailey's Wood, also talking about seasonal traditions, nature and folklore.

Black Forest Cake



Little afternoon snack after all the walking and talking.

Spaghetti Squash



Rob cooked our spaghetti squash for tea tonight. It was so good.

H is for Halloween



Carrying on with our A-Z of horror tonight, and the choice for H was a pretty obvious one!

I is for I Know What You Did Last Summer



And then a classic 90s slasher to complete our double bill.

Friday, 18 October 2024

31 Days of Halloween: Day 18


Another day of celebrating Halloween!

Spider Brooches



Getting ready for our Halloween/half term activity at work... making spider brooches!

Halloween Chocolate



Had a little bit of seasonal chocolate when I got home from work. This was part of a little bag of sweets my mum gave me at the beginning of the month.

Thursday, 17 October 2024

31 Days of Halloween: Day 17


Another day of Halloween month... and another day that was a wee bit too busy for any celebrations. Sigh. Still, you have to mark the season somehow.

Zombie Fruit Leathers



I haven't seen these before, but they're officially my new favourite thing.