Halloween fun on the High Street

[Dotkin]

Hi does anyone know if this is going ahead again this year and what time it will be on?

[mosy]

Agree, I hope it will be on again as the children thoroughly enjoy it

It is Chris Best who usually tells STF on the Town Hall forum about it, email: cllr_chris.best@lewisham.gov.uk

As there's only a couple of weeks for costume making etc as well as shopkeepers participating, it's probably a good time to ask if it's on the cards.

[Parker1970]

As there's only a couple of weeks for costume making

I'll just stick all my utility bills to my clothes... that's scary stuff right there!!!!

[mosy]

You can say that again. No, don't! I need to sleep at night In my coffin of course,
Mwa ha ha ha ha ha...

[Dotkin]

Hi Mosy - will try that email, thanks! I know that Penge High Street are doing it this year too so there is a spooky choice!

[Chris Best]

Yes we are organising the high street Halloween trail on Saturday 31 October from 4pm - 5pm followed by the costume competition at 5pm sharp in The Sydenham Centre. This year we have a special prize for the best home made costume as well as the under 7s and over 7s.

Special thanks to the 30 traders who have agreed to take part. If anyone would like to volunteer to hand out the trail maps and help with the costume competition please send me an email - cllr_chris.best@lewisham.gov.uk

See you on the high street.

[JodyComedy]

There will be a Halloween Themed Comedy Night at the Golden Lion on the 30th Oct 8pm

[noplacelikehome]

There are lots of SE London listings for children here if you're still looking.
https://www.familiesonline.co.uk/locati ... tober-2015

[FHgatecrasher]

Hi Chris - where does the trail start from tomorrow? Is there an online map at all?

[mosy]

Hi FHgatecrasher Sorry, I'm not Chris and I can't find a trail map that I can copy.

However, the trail usually goes between the Sugahill Cafe on Kirkdale (opposite the LA Fitness gym) and goes right down to a few shops further than the Co-op, with participating shops on either side of Sydenham Road, so it's more an up and down casual wander usually rather than any sort of formal parade so can start from either end. The costume competition is in the Sydenham Centre (next to the post office and 50yds or so up from the Co-op).

Happy *Spooky* Halloween to all ghosts and ghouls.

[Chris Best]

There is a trail map on the SEE3 Twitter account @SEE3PortasPilot - Sugahill in Kirkdale to Clifton Aquatics just below Mayow Road - gathering points at 4pm are Here For Good, The Sydenham Centre and the Coop where will will have a volunteer with some trail maps to hand out. Traders are looking forward to meeting ghouls and ghosts - prizes for best costumes at 5pm in The Sydenham Centre. This is a great event to support our high street.

[mosy]

A crash of ominous thunder and I'd have been a quivering wreck!

What with dodging vampires, werewolfs, zombies, witches and wizards, eerie cat creatures (metamorphs?), mummies, fleeting creatures who move fast in their own dimension, devils incarnate, ghouls, innocents oblivious to the evil surrounding them (Aww) and even a horseman of the Apocalypse
A couple of decidedly scary hair-dos too, but hey, we've all been there...

Don't believe me?
https://picasaweb.google.com/1057818136 ... 0M7o2o_mLg
You can click on "Slideshow" (first item on a horizontal menu near the top), or click on a thumbnail to enlarge.

Thanks go to the Council and shopkeepers for this invasion of incredibly scary ones who roam our very high street

[Robin Orton]

But how can Hallowe'en be 'fun'? I don't understand.

[mosy]

If that's a serious question, Robin Orton, my serious answer is that it's fun to defeat evil by mimicking and mocking it. Like sticking your tongue out and waggling your fingers at it. Evil doesn't stand a chance when a whole community is single mindedly having fun at its expense and showing that it's not welcome. After all, evil is said to seek out evil and it would be hard pressed to have found any on Saturday. And if there were,
♪ Who you gonna call? Ghostbusters ♪

[leenewham]

Why do you think Halloween isn't fun Robin? It's got nothing to do with evil or devil worship,just as paganism hasn't anything to do with evil or devil worship. It's got to do with play, sweets and rampant commercialism. It's great that high streets have now cottoned onto it rather than just brands and supermarkets.

[JRobinson]

We drove back down the high st on Saturday and it was fantastic to see so many families out with their children in costumes, and some parents too (the bloke on the horse was good), and not just seeing lots of people on the high st, but most were actually going into and using the shops! So hopefully more people will realise the resource of a high st that we have and use it more often!

[Robin Orton]

Why do you think Halloween isn't fun Robin?

It's not much fun if you're an old person for whom the modern Hallowe'en is a nasty American import and just an excuse for extracting money with menaces. You sit cowering in the back room of your house with all the lights out, hoping and praying that 'trick-or-treaters' will think you're out and will therefore refrain from throwing eggs at your front windows.

[leenewham]

It's actually from the UK. It was exported to the USA, then came back with knobs on in a way shops could commercialise to hell out of.

I agree about trick or treat with houses and eggs, although I've never noticed that. The high street bit is good. I've been to the USA during halloween and it's fantastic, although the amount of sweets that gets given/taken is ridiculous!

But it does bring neighbourhoods together in the US, which is lovely. Literally everyone is involved and they go to town decorating their homes. We are a bit more 'bah humbug' here. There should be a rule that if you only call on those places that have been decorated.

But I also think that all cold calling, either at someone home, or by phone, whether it's salesmen for window, religion or charities should be banned unless there is an emergency and it's lifted for charities.