Halloween!

[samlad]

I know, you saw the title and thought, "it's too friggin' earlier to be discussing Halloween". Agreed, but I see that the local shops and supermarkets are already stocking up on the cheap and tackies, including our nearby cake shop that is brimming with parkin cake, spicy fruit loaves, treacle toffee and ghoul-orientated cupcakes and cookies (of which I *ahem* sampled some of this morning ).

No doubt the chavs will be turning up at unsuspecting residences wearing their track-suits and a half-heartedly donning a cheap plastic mask, knocking on old ladies' doors, grunting 'trick or treat' under their breaths in the vain hope hope of scoring a few bob.

All cynicism aside, I actually don't mind the little 'uns turning up all dressed up with bright eyes, holding out their little pumpkin buckets for a handful of sweets, so long as they are supervised and it's on the night (or the nearest weekend). Mrs Sam and I always make sure that we have a stash of Haribos for the little munchkins Bless 'em!

It's been years since I've been to a Halloween party (the last one I went to was back in 1999, actually ), so who's going out this year? No doubt we'll have a section dedicated to the ladies here that are tackling up as naughty witches nearer the time