This was Halloween in Governors Harbour

Halloween always surprises Bob and I – in the UK it is not really celebrated in the same way as Halloween in Governors Harbour is ! This year we were pretty well prepared. During a recent trip to Florida we stocked up on hideous tooth rotting candy, our animated dog skeleton as well as various decorations to festoon the front of the house with. Oh yes – and I bought a wig – a touch of the Cruella De Ville’s !

Our first visitor of the evening !
Our first visitor of the evening !
Great costumes ....
Great costumes ….

Haynes Library held their usual party on Saturday late afternoon and then The Leon Levy Preserve had a fabulous Spooktacular party as well.

This was a great turnout ....
This was a great turnout ….
Plenty of trick or treaters
Plenty of trick or treaters

Our visitors started arriving at around 7pm – word must be out that we have plenty of treats – this year we estimated that we have between 40 and 50 trick or treaters…..

Another tiny tot !
Another tiny tot !
Bob loved his Dollar Store decorations
Bob loved his Dollar Store decorations

Some of the costumes were really good – and it is always shocking to see how much candy has been collected. How do any of these children have teeth left by Christmas ?

Everything is just fine here officer !
Everything is just fine here officer !
Yikes !
Yikes !

 

When I was a child in the UK Halloween was not something on our radar at all – and even when we left eleven years ago we never ever had visiting children. Our big childhood celebration at this time of the year was Bonfire Night – on the 5th November. This was a celebration that started in 1606 – the year after Guy Fawkes and a team of conspirators tried to blow up the Houses of Parliament in London. Check out the article in the Telegraph here to read more of the history of it all…..

There would be a huge bonfire on the field behind where we lived – all the local kids would avidly collect wood to build the bonfire with. Then we would make a communal Guy Fawkes – this was a figure stuffed with newspaper so that he would go up in flames easily.

Prior to the night of November 5th we would tour the local neighborhood knocking on doors and asking for ” A penny for the guy ”  This would then be pooled to buy fireworks. Of course looking back the fireworks then were pretty paltry – but we loved it – sparklers, jumping jacks, rockets, bangers, catherine wheels – who could have realized how spectacular firework displays would become….

On the night of the 5th a group of fathers would supervise getting the bonfire lit – and we would all jump up and down at a distance warming our rosy little cheeks in the always cold weather ….

The role of the mums was to provide the food – baked potatoes were a firm favorite – well with me anyway ! And roasted chestnuts – heated in the embers of the bonfire on a shovel and then pulled out and peeled – I always managed to burn my mouth on them ! Heinz tomato soup in mugs and sausages – seemingly a strange combination but it worked !!

No-one did seem to be afraid of the skeleton dog....
No-one did seem to be afraid of the skeleton dog….

Funny how these blogs take their shape – this was only going to be about Halloween here in Governors Harbour but I got sidetracked wandering down memory lane ! – sorry no photos of those times – although my late father was a keen photographer outdoor night-time photos were never in his repertoire !

They were loving it !
They were loving it !
Two of the best costumes without a doubt !
Two of the best costumes without a doubt !

 

8 thoughts on “This was Halloween in Governors Harbour”

  1. Sherelle Wallace

    The thing about Trick or Treaters and the amazing amount of candy they consume (having teeth by Christmas time); is that most of these children are between 3-7 years old. What teeth they do have are baby teeth, not permanent as yet. So, they are going to fall out soon anyway! If I could go back to that stage in my life, (especially considering how well I try to take care of my permanent teeth) I would have eaten more candy!

  2. I decided to hand out alternative “treats” this year just to give a message about the intake of all the candy and sweets, I passed out small bottles of bubble stuff, whistles that play a tune, glow bracelets. The kids were happy, and I was too. Will do this again next year.

    1. Bob and Kathy Colman

      This is a great idea – I think I will try and organize that for next year…… Thanks for the suggestion !

  3. Hello Kathy~
    Ran across your blog and absolutely love your articles. The children in their Halloween outfits are adorable!
    Best wishes,
    Kim & Bobby

  4. andrew sanderson

    My wife is originally from England. Her first halloween in Canada came as a shock, “surely people wouldn’t knock on a door if they didn’t know the people”. That was 38 years ago.

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Kathy Colman

Writer, Interior Designer, Foodie, and Wife to Bob. Living in Eleuthera, Bahamas

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