31 Days of Halloween: Day 27

Another day of celebrating our Halloween month. It was a bit more relaxed than yesterday's craziness, but still very enjoyable and super-seasonal.

Samhain Nature Walkshop

I went on Natalie Rossiter's annual Samhain Nature Walkshop this afternoon, which has become a really special part of my Halloween celebrations. We did forest bathing, searching for beauty in decay, looking for messages in the woods, and then reflection around the fire with homemade biscuits, mulled apple juice and magical flames.

Pumpkin Lantern

When I got home from the woods, Rob had carved our pumpkin lantern.

Halloween Dinner

Tonight, we had our traditional Halloween Dinner of Pumpkin and Sausage Casserole.

Halloween Gifts

And then after dinner, we swapped our traditional Halloween gifts - the last whiskies to add to the set that we'll drink in December.

N is for Night of the Living Dead

Our Horror A-Z continued tonight with Night of the Living Dead.

31 Days of Halloween: Day 26

Today was a very busy day, involving four different outfits and two different wigs. It was a good day.

Bailey’s Wood Litter-Pick

This morning started off with the monthly Friends of Bailey's Wood litter-pick. As is tradition, we dressed up for October litter-pick. And, as is also tradition, we (or maybe that should be I) tried to make our costumes as unsettling as possible.

Christmas Duck

One of the guys on the litter-pick presented me with a present this morning. He said, "I know you're into your ducks," and I think this is because my little Halloween ducks have been turning up at various events. Then he told me he'd found this one in his garden one day, and I could have it for when we start celebrating Christmas. I love my little garden duck!

Mouse and Chocolate Owls

A present from my mum!

Hannah’s Bookshelf Halloween Special

This afternoon was the annual Hannah's Bookshelf Halloween Special on North Manchester FM, featuring seasonal flash fiction from this year's 3 Minute Scares entries.

Abominable Books

Also on my radio show today, I opened my October box from the Abominable Book Club. I got Disturbance by Jenna Clake and Coup de Grâce by Sofia Ajram, plus a tote bag, popcorn and a few other treats.

Bailey’s Wood Horror Walk

Then it was to the woods for the Friends of Bailey's Wood evening event... Saturday the 26th - Horror in the Woods. I led some brave souls through the forest, telling stories of other realms, vengeful trees, and why you should never book a cabin in the woods on Airbnb.

L is for The Loved Ones

Back home, we continued our horror A-Z with The Loved Ones.

M is for The Menu

And then we rounded off the day with The Menu.

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.