Thread: Halloween in the UK

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Hi People,

I'm new hear, so a big hi from the Isle of Anglesey in North Wales!

For the last twelve years myself and my partner have been breaking our backs each October turning our home in the countryside into a really good haunt. Nowadays folk bring their kids from all over the island to trick or treat at our house, its great.

But Halloween in the UK is so poor in comparision to you guys in the States! Considering the thing was invented here its appalling! The products for sale are terrible, tatty and useless, its so frustrating trying to add something new each year. We have even taken to flying over to Florida in early October just to do some Halloween shopping!! Going with empty suitcases and returning with rather full ones!

Trawling the net for British or even european based manufacturers or sellers of good halloween stuff is harrowing. Anyone out there know of anything, anywhere in Europe thats worth looking at. Won't be going to Florida this year, taking Mum on a Nile River Cruise instead!

Problem with the majority of US sellers is they will not ship internationally, and even if they do the shipping charge is too much, and then the threat of custom charges on top of it.

ANy one with any advice?

Cheers,
BritMort

wow, we are not far away, I'm based in Deeside and I have a solution....

Firstly let me explain that I'm associated with Skulltronix (http://www.skulltronix.com) , so am a tad biased, however, this does mean than Skulltronix products (and its a rapidly growing range) are now not only available in Europe, but there is a local facility for supporting and servicing them.

Also, this means that I've got very good links with the US and if there was anything I wanted, or indeed someone else expressed an interest in then it may be possible to have it included with a UK delivery.

Anyway, Id love to see more of your efforts, there are so few (but an increasingly growing number) of us British haunters that we could do well by sticking close together

Sorry I don't have any suggestions. I lived in UK for a few years and never did find a good source of Halloween stuff. Keep up the haunt, they really need people doing that over there! Someone was posting on here last year who ran a pro haunt in England, I wonder where they get theirs?

frightfactoryuk.com

I dont think fright factory actually got off the ground

Hi Britmort, welcome to the Forum.
If you find out about any Halloween props in the USA that you want for this coming season I'd be glad to try to locate them and get them shipped to the UK for you. I guess the customs charges might be the only bad part of the deal. I know a lot of sellers get around that by declaring the package as a "GIFT".
Just let me know if I can help.

Congrats to you for keeping Halloween alive in the UK. I don’t have any helpful advice other than to think about making you own props. There’s lots of good advice and help here and many sites with how-to’s. Love to see pics of your haunt if you have any.

Hi People,

Thank you all so much! Thats great! Phoenix, the skulltronix looks fabulous, are you saying they are avaialble in the UK? This is great news! How much do they cost? And yes you are right, us haunters should stick tgether, so far within the 80,000 population of the Isle of Anglesey, we seem to be the only houselhold that goes a little "Crazy", and for a whole week too!!

Dave, many thanks to you, I appreciate that, and yes sending something as a gift does levy the cutoms charge. I have friends in Los Angeles who send me some stuff each year, which is great. i shall keep you well in mind.

We have made a tremendous amount of home made stuff, plus i work in a real Morgue and have any funeral directors as close friends who supoply my with coffins and all sorts!!

Normally if we do get the opportunity to get to the US in Sept, we go to Orlando, Florida and the Spirit Halloween Superstore near the Florida Mall. Fabulous shop, just such a shame that the UK is so crap!

We celebrate Halloween over the period of a week, with three parties, a talk and presentation on the Celtic history and traditions of Halloween at our nature reserve and custom built venue. And then the big night itself, at home with the witches waiting to scare the pants off the local kids!!

Thank you so much for your replies, I really appreciate that.

I can be contacted by email at cwdmawr@hotmail.co.uk

Cheers,

Britmort, nice to see that Pommies are getting into the Spirit!
I live in a location where I can't buy anything either. The solution? You MAKE what you need. The fact is, you can cobble together some pretty impressive stuff.
All the Best, and Welcome to the Forum!!

i live in the uk and we do manage by making lots but its quite hard work and so much more expensive, we have imported controllers also you notice alot of the diy materials are not openly available here, but there are a few great websites with brilliant diy props that help, but ours is getting better every year, i do think the majority of that is learning through experience. its lovely to hear from fellow home haunters all over the world
denise.x