Ghosts and Ghouls...

Oh my, what a week! Lots of sickness here in Petticoat Lane. With a week full of half term Halloween celebrations and gatherings this was not good news!

Having had to cancel arrangements earlier in the week, by Wednesday we were more than ready to take a step outside and breathe in the fresh air, so as planned, we donned our Halloween costumes and drove on our merry little way to Lacock Abbey for a Witches and Wizards day.

Two minutes after arriving at the Abbey...

"Mummy I feel really poorly"

"Oh, you'll be fine when we arrive and you get some fresh air"

"But mummy I feel sick and have tummy ache"

We had a little chat about how poorly she 'really' felt and decided that we'd just go and have a quick look, but if she felt unwell come straight back to the car. She asked for the pushchair which was a sign that she really was poorly as she now feels far too old for a pushchair, and rightly so!

Imogen looking as white as a sheet, perked up slightly when she saw how many other witches and wizards were promenading around the abbey grounds, but she still didn't manage to haul herself out of the pushchair, leaving me to manoeuvre around the crowds, trying not to run over too many dainty little toes as I went.

Lacock Abbey is beautiful and was used for some of the Harry Potter scenes, I think this 'extra' got left behind!



Inside the Cloisters there were magicians roaming around entertaining the hordes, arts and crafts activities (that is if you could fight your way to the table or were willing to push small children flying in order to participate in such activities)!! and 'spooky' storytelling.



This magnificent cauldron wasn't displayed just for the day, but is infact a permanent fixture in the Cloisters and dates back to the 1500's. You may have spotted it in the first two Harry Potter films.




The patient managed to haul herself out of the pushchair for me to get pictures of them both, looking a little like Michelin Men with the amount of layers I had put on underneath their costumes! As you can see, I was only allowed approximately 2 seconds to get the shot before she was heading back into the pushchair!





Beatrice was a 'Pumpkin Princess (?) by the way, just incase you were wondering! I did mention how pale Imogen was didn't I?!!!

We decided to cut our visit short due to the amount of whinging and whining coming from the lady in the witch costume, and take a stroll around the magnificent village of Lacock. As a family we love this village. If you ever get the chance, please go and take a look, it's full of beautiful old buildings like this...

Lacock is often used for filming as there are no street lights, pavements, lines painted on the road etc, with every turn into the next little street you really do feel like your stepping back in time...like you're an extra in some beautiful costume drama...... Productions filmed here include; Pride & Pejudice, Cranford, Chronicles, Emma, Moll Flanders and The Other Boleyn Girl.

We waved this 13th Century picturesque village goodbye and returned home to rest and recuperate for the following day's party, filled with lots of Halloween themed party games.

Being blindfolded to find chocolate 'eyeballs' in bowls full of worms....





......and jelly 'brain matter'...YUCK!!!! They thought it was great fun!


Back home ready to carve out the pumpkin and for Mr PL to make us all some delicious Pumpkin Soup... Forgot to take a pictures of the soup, it didn't last too long!!! But credit where credit's due to Mr PL and his culinary skills, it was delicious.






We decorated the porch....

We got the big bowl of treats ready incase we had any 'trick or treaters'....

Did we get any?...did we heck! Not a single ghost appeared on our doorstep. I guess not many ghosts and ghouls venture down little country lanes! At least I was prepared. Anyone for Smarties?!!

With such a big build up to the 'big' day, (obviously this had nothing to do with me also trying to fill half term week and catch up with the girls friends), Imogen woke up on Friday 31st October expecting something similar to Christmas Day, she even wished the man that came to fix the dishwasher "Happy Halloween", he was slightly surprised!

She had to wait all day for the finale of our week's activities and spend most of the day asking; "Is it 4'o'clock yet"? as I'd told her she couldn't put her dress on until then. I must say, even I was a little excited as our Halloween evening has become somewhat a family tradition for us. Meeting up with friends and their children and taking a walk down Catherine Hill.

Each year on Halloween, Catherine Hill in Frome, Somerset, is closed to the little amount of traffic it sees and all the wonderful vintage shops, jewellery designers, florists and gift shops stay open between 5pm -7pm, giving out treats so that all the local children can enjoy Halloween in a safe environment. It's a fantastic idea with a great atmosphere. It also stops people being frightened in their own homes by knocks at the door (I know my grandmother used to get so scared on Halloween). The above picture was taken at 5pm, believe me, by 5.30pm you couldn't move for fancy dress costumes!

All the shops decorate their windows.....

Even the delectable 'Fifi' outside one of my favourite shops 'Fifi de Villes', got into the Halloween spirit..




The streets were decorated with Pumpkins....




The resident Accordion player entertained the crowds adding to the wonderful atmosphere. Only I could manage to take his picture in front of the only graffiti in the whole of Frome!!





My own little Pumpkin Princess had a wonderful evening popping in and out of the shops with her pumpkin bag and her sister collecting sweets and chocolates from all the shopkeepers....





The evening is always finished off in the same way, a visit to a local family pub where the children dance around and count out their sweets whilst the adults get to enjoy a glass of wine and a little conversation before taking the happy, sleepy, little people home exhausted to their beds...to dream of ghosts and ghouls.......................................BOO!