2019 continues to move at breakneck speed, throwing us headfirst into October, statistically the spookiest month of the year. As the nights grow longer, the shadows grow deeper, and large flocks of starlings are replaced by even larger swarms of bats, you might be pondering how best to take part in the wicked anti-festive spirit of Halloween.
Luckily for you and the skeletons living inside your closet, there are plenty of entertaining and blood-curdling delights happening in and around Swindon this haunting season. And where else to start than with the humble pumpkin? Roves Farm will run daily pumpkin carving workshops in late October where anybody can try their hand at designing and manifesting their own chilling (or hilarious) squash-based centrepieces to darken their homes. Aside from their usual fare of terrifying pigmy goats, Roves will also be admitting a fresh new intake into their Witches and Wizards school between the 26th of October and the 3rd of November. Engage in sulphurous alchemy, hair-raising potion making, and even flying lessons, where broomsticks will presumably be supplied. After all, it is never too late to prepare yourselves for your admittance letters into Hogwarts…
Another essential component of any fright-filled schedule is a jaunt on a ghost train, and here Swindon and Cricklade Railway has you covered. If you dare wish to ride upon a locomotive populated by ghouls and spectres, Friday the 25th and Saturday the 26th will see the station’s ghastly, yet friendly, conductors ushering the wailing spirits of the damned aboard, peppering the quaint charm of this historic railway with a deep sense of dread and foreboding. If you haven’t yet had the chance to visit this premier family attraction, now might be the time to take your own little monsters on a chilling excursion into the past aboard these magnificent engines.
Many of those reading would surely agree that there is little more terrifying in this world than the idea of going out for a run. Nonetheless, the bravest amongst us enjoy a challenge, even at this brisk time of year. Most excitingly, Brighter Futures will be holding a Spooktacular extravaganza of a fun run at Coate Water on Saturday the 26th. For a small fee which goes towards supporting the wards and departments of the Great Western Hospital, entrants of any age and ability can dress up in their freakiest costumes and break some sweat over a 3k course, where there may or may not be some chilling surprises in store. Those who stumble over the finish line will be presented with a well-deserved prize medal, Halloween goodies, and the vibrant warmth of burned calories. Whether you run, jog, walk, or lurch like one of the undead, this will be a thrilling event for all.
Finally, if all you require is some quiet crafty workshopping like the entrepreneurial Doctor Frankenstein, a plethora of options are available to you. The Swindon Museum and Art Gallery, located in Old Town, will be running a children’s workshop entitled Putrid Pumpkins and Spooky Spiders on Tuesday the 29th. On the 28th, young’uns have the opportunity to invent their own Halloween slime at Hobbycraft Swindon, though make sure you bring along a container so that your prize can be brought home and added to the decorations. Beechcroft Library will also be hosting spooky craft workshops for kids on the 29th, giving the adults an opportunity to lurk between the stacks with the latest Stephen King in order to scare themselves silly.
Whatever possesses you this Halloween, be it a friendly ghost or a blood-thirsty phantom, Swindon has something to delight, educate, and entertain. Happy hauntings, everyone...