Whatever happened to.......

Milothedog
Milothedog Forum Participant Posts: 1,433
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edited November 2017 in General Chat #1

Over the past few year's the Halloween thing seems to have become a major event and an excuse for the shops to extract money from us.

So what happened to good old Penny for the Guy, smile

Comments

  • Traficlady
    Traficlady Forum Participant Posts: 99
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    edited November 2017 #2

    I’ve been wondering that too. They used to be on every street corner. Much more healthy than trick or treating which is just another ghastly thing we’ve caught from America. I wonder how many people would let their little darlings do it if they knew what Halloween was really about as opposed to just wearing scary costumes. 

  • Milothedog
    Milothedog Forum Participant Posts: 1,433
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    edited November 2017 #3

    "I wonder how many people would let their little darlings do it if they knew what Halloween was really about"

    My Wife often makes the same statement.  And at least with penny for the guy they were static and not knocking on your door every 10 minutes. 

    Will anyone else admit to ignoring them after the first one or two have paid a visitsmile

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited November 2017 #4

    Our local neighbourhood watch,via Herts Police gave out A5 posters  to elderly,/ vunerable residents to stick on their doors advising No Trick Or Treat Please, it was quite successfull from feed back recdsmile

    Ps anyone could have one of the posters if wantedwink

    Pps my brother and I had a guy in our dad's wheelbarrow out side our house in Surrey which was on route to local railway station (when people walked)laughing

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #5

    Come down to Somerset for our Guy Fawkes night and illuminated carnivals! laughing

    Bridgwater Carnival

    We also have a bonfire on Ham Hill, traditional guy making, food and no fireworks. Ham Hill is one of the biggest Iron Age Hillforts in Europe, bonfires have been lit there since time began.wink 

     

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited November 2017 #6

    You could also go to Lewis in sussex for big fireworks torchlight procesions and diplays another big one in Winchester 

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #7

    I will admit to not opening the door to anyone on 31 October I'm so against the ethos. I'm not ashamed to admit it either. Need to be fair to all 😉. Around here it is understood if you're happy to receive trick or treaters you decorate the outside of your house even if it's only a pumpkin on the doorstep.

    I remember as an early teenager carving out a sugar beet and adding a candle and wandering around the village with the other youngsters,  that's 3 or 4 boys and another couple of girls, and walking around the churchyard. Only did it the once. My Godfather was the vicar but had retired and moved away by then 😉. 

    I'd much rather celebrate 1 November All Souls.

    Nice to hear of bonfire night without fireworks. Will have to add that to a visit to the carnivals in your area Brue. It' been on the list for several years 😉

  • Spriddler
    Spriddler Forum Participant Posts: 646
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    edited November 2017 #8

    I don't open my door to Halloween kids. I don't give sweets to children and anyway so many have allergies and intolerances that I could find them having an anaphylactic fit on my doorstep. I jest not.

  • Wherenext
    Wherenext Club Member Posts: 10,599 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #9

    Anyone experienced a Halloween on a club site when it's half term, as it has been in this part of Wales this week? 

    Must be interesting to see the Club members ignoring the little darlings and pretending not to be in, even if their car is stuck next to the van!smile

  • cyberyacht
    cyberyacht Forum Participant Posts: 10,218
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    edited November 2017 #10

    Just because their van and car are there, doesn't mean they haven't jetted off for a Caribbean cruise.

  • brue
    brue Forum Participant Posts: 21,176 ✭✭✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #11

    Britain seems to excel at variations of Bonfire Night...

    BBC THREE strangest Bonfire Nights

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited November 2017 #12

    Or out working wink

  • Spriddler
    Spriddler Forum Participant Posts: 646
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    edited November 2017 #13

    Or feel obliged to open their door.

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #14

    The reason why Halloween has become such a big thing is that UK retailers discovered how big it was in the USA and have since tried to replicate its sales success over here. It is a similar story with Valentines day.

    We are not keen on Halloween and would normally close ourselves off from it, ie lights out etc. However last year one of our neighbours asked if she could bring her two young daughters around and we were happy to agree. We did the same this year. So by appointment is fine in the Klyne household!!!!

    Bonfire Night is a bit different. Sensibly it seems to have moved towards more organised displays. I suppose also no self respecting twenty first century youngster is going to stand around on a cold and windy street corner asking for a penny for the guy!!! 

    David

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2017 #15

    We have not had one Trick or Treat caller in the last 30 years.

  • EmilysDad
    EmilysDad Forum Participant Posts: 8,973
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    edited November 2017 #16

    There are some right miserable old sods on here. We don't  get gangs of older kids knocking on our door, just neighbour's youngsters coming round with their parents. We buy a mixed bag of sweets especially for them. 

  • EasyT
    EasyT Forum Participant Posts: 16,194
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    edited November 2017 #17

     I wouldn't know MM

  • SteveL
    SteveL Club Member Posts: 12,302 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #18

    We always buy a tin of sweets. Never seem to get very many, just a few youngsters. When we were on a CC site over one Halloween, we did take a tin of sweets, but there were no callers.

  • Metheven
    Metheven Club Member Posts: 3,987 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #19

    We also buy a tin of sweets, we then lock the door, turn up the TV and scoff them all laughing

  • briantimber
    briantimber Forum Participant Posts: 1,653
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    edited November 2017 #20

    Same here surprisedlaughingcool

  • papgeno
    papgeno Forum Participant Posts: 2,158
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    edited November 2017 #21

    That's the same with us. A plastic tin ( if that makes sense) of Haribos bought weeks ago. We had only a couple of groups of children call, so there's quite a lot left for me ( I'm a big kid at heart)

     

  • DavidKlyne
    DavidKlyne Club Member Posts: 13,859 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #22

    On the subject of fireworks, did anyone think there were less of them this year? Certainly didn't seem as many around us.

    David

  • Bakers2
    Bakers2 Forum Participant Posts: 8,192 ✭✭✭
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    edited November 2017 #23

    Certainly not less around here! Some of the bangs were loud but as we don' know where they were fired they may just have been closer. Hopefully all finished now 😆.

    Oh I forgot we've still got town lighting up ones to come, next weekend possibly. Now they are LOUD. A mile or so away, indoors windows closed and TV or radio on and can be heard. Maybe cos they're in the valley. This is Essex so flatfsh valley, I hadn' realised we climbed home until I cycled 😂😂

  • tigerfish
    tigerfish Forum Participant Posts: 1,362
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    edited November 2017 #24

    The problem seems to have been resolved around here with an initiative by the Police and the schools. It has resulted in a new sort of protocol and you actually seem to have to *opt in".

    So if you enjoy the young kids coming round all dressed up, trick and treating, YOU put a pumpkin outside your door as a sign that you are happy to be disturbed and they will call.  each group has to be accompanied by an adult.

    If you don't want to be involved or disturbed don't put any signs such as a pumpkin out side and keep your hall lights etc out.  You will not be disturbed!

    Its been in force for two years now and the complaints have gone away!

    TF

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited November 2017 #25

    Are your neigbours getting "past it"wink

  • tombar
    tombar Forum Participant Posts: 408
    edited November 2017 #26

    Thought Penny for the Guy was for Bonfire Night not Halloweensmile

  • JVB66
    JVB66 Forum Participant Posts: 22,892
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    edited November 2017 #27

    I think the OP was comparing what has been "celebrated" in the UK for many years compared to the interloper again from yankyland