Ghoulish Goings-On
Go behind the scenes and find out everything about our Halloween Experiences!

A History of the Halloween Experience

In 2002, it was noticed that there were many people going about trick-or-treating on Halloween night in North Baddesley. James, the founder of the Halloween Experiences, also saw that the houses holding Halloween parties with decorations outside were quite scarce, and he therefore decided that he should set up something a little special for unsuspecting visitors to his Nan’s house on Halloween night.

A year later, on October 31^st 2003, a test-run for a proposed experience went ahead. James sat behind the front door, flashing a torch in accompaniment to thunder sound effects when trick-or-treaters arrived at the house. Even though it was an incredibly simple effect, people grew aware that the house was doing something a bit different, and so an increase in the number of visitors was noticed that night.

The success of the evening was enough to make James go ahead with a full-scale ‘Halloween Experience’ the next year in 2004. Poem boards, static props, music and lighting effects were set up in the garden, to give trick-or-treaters their first outdoor ghostly experience on Halloween. The thunder and lighting effect at the front door was kept, with the addition of a hearty blast of fog that enshrouded the visitors who dared to knock at the door! People seemed to love it, with popularity growing over the evening, and approximately 70 visitors visiting over the two hour period.

In 2005, James was busy planning another experience; this time more lavish. A full-size coffin that opened its lid when visitors walked past, a demonic clock, and a graveyard full of tombstones were just some of things that would haunt the garden that year. Sadly, the weather was absolutely dreadful, and, as many of the props were made out of painted cardboard, they had to be taken into the house out of sight in order to preserve them. This meant that the garden was bare, and the only effects we had was the familiar thunder and lighting at the front door. However, it didn’t stop the locals turning out in force, and the evening was still a moderate success.

Another year passed and James had already started planning the2006 experience in August! He also enlisted the help of fellow Halloween enthusiast Sam, and together they restored and created props for ‘Halloween Experience 2006’, which was to be the biggest and most impressive so far. New additions to the decorations included a floating candelabrum, with glowing flames that flickered at the back of the garden, as well a skeleton that swung from the porch. The unseen props rescued from the rain of 2005 were finally given their evening of glory also, and they were proudly displayed to over 80 people who visited the experience. Praise was high, and the evening, thankfully dry, was enjoyed by all. It was after this experience that James’s parents told him that he should think about making the 2006 one the last.

In 2007, however, he simply couldn’t resist it and managed to wangle another opportunity to hold ‘Halloween Experience 2007’. This time, the atmosphere was designed to be more spooky and tense. Startling noises and lower lighting levels were added, in an attempt to darken the mood of the experience. A skeleton would drop down unexpectedly when a visitor reached the porch, and blinding lightning effects occurred occasionally to give the garden a stormy look. For the first time ever, some of the younger visitors started running away down the path when things jumped out at them, but another dry night meant that James and Sam, and over 100 other people were able to enjoy the experience once again. James did, after this, officially call an end to the Halloween Experiences.

But, inevitably, a year later, in 2008, he’s already planning to go out with a bang. Entitled ‘Halloween Experience – The Epilogue’, the final experience will be the scariest yet, with all the stops pulled out to make sure that no-one goes away unspooked! Creepier music, dim lighting and disquieting effects marked the end of an era; the end of five years of happy haunting.

Thankyou to every single person who has visited and supported the experience - it wouldn't have happened without you. And thanks to whoever's controlling the weather as well - four dry nights out of five is pretty darn good!

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