The Final Countdown

Well, we’re into the last week of the open season!

There is a bit of a party atmosphere among the staff and volunteers. We’ve cracked open the chocolate biscuits in the office.

For me, the party atmosphere is enhanced by the planning and preparation involved for the actual party this weekend. We have Halloween Half Term activities for families every day this week, but on the Saturday evening we have an extra special, tickets-only party. It’s very popular, and we tend to have booked all the available spaces within days of the tickets going on sale.

Halloween is a time of pure creativity. We have fun making the props and decorating the house and grounds, while the children have fun dressing up and pouring scorn on our efforts to scare them. When you have a generation of children brought up on blood-spattered shoot-em-ups on whichever games console they happen to have, it's really hard to startle them, or even induce mild unease, with a rubber spider and a bed sheet. It's a challenge I keep taking on, though.

As part of the party package we do include “refreshments”. "Refreshments" is a great term, as I feel it doesn’t really imply proper food. In this instance we have bought in a quality selection of the finest Halloween-themed treats our local shops can offer. "Flourescent" is the word that springs to mind.

I took a phone call earlier. It was a very nice lady wishing to know more about the Halloween Party and to book some tickets.

“So, what kind of food is it?”

“Oh, well, mainly party food. You know. Nibbles. You may want to feed them a vitamin or two before you come”.

“Ah, only one of my boys does have a food additive intolerance.”

My eyes slid helplessly to the gaudy pile of orange and green sugar-based confectionaries on my desk.

“You might want to keep him away from the Creepy Cakes then”.

She booked her tickets regardless. I feel I should go out and buy some carrot sticks, just to show willing.