By Kate Hodges
26th October 2022
EVENT AND DO CARNIVAL OF SOULS
This weekend is Halloween, or Samhuinn. In Edinburgh, the Fire Festival lights up the streets of the city; it’s not just those lucky enough to live in Scotland who can experience the drum, ritual and pageant; there’s also a simultaneous livestream of the parade, online film and art. Find tickets for the event here. Alternatively, Glastonbury’s Wild Hunt sees the red and white dragon do battle, or teens might like to explore the darker side of British culture at Somerset House’s The Horror Show exhibition.
Find more ideas for in-person celebrations here, enjoy Glennie Kindred’s ideas for ways to celebrate Samhuinn at home – including a recipe for Elderberry Syrup – here and more inspiration here.
EVENTS HALF-TERM FUN!
Half-term continues to bring the events! Find something to do near you…
Kew
Kew is brightening up the winter with the vibrancy of Mexico; find bold new artists, horticultural installations and a family fiesta, which celebrates the Day of the Dead through dressing up, carnival dance workshops and parades. And – best of all – spot a slumber of sloths in the Temperate House.
English Heritage
Autumn is cloaking English Heritage’s sites in glorious shades of orange, red and yellow. Head to one of their free parks or gardens to enjoy the views, or book online for spooky woodland walks, ghost hunting events and Beano-themed Halloween quests. Find an event near you here
The National Trust
Half-term at the National Trust means nature explorer walks, weird and wonderful welly wanders and a chance to step back in time and meet characters from history. Find an event near you here
Welsh Museums
It’s Welsh Museums Festival time; and this year, venues across the country are cooking up a potion of inspiration. Search for dragons, solve riddles, enter a photo competition, experience a night at the Regimental Museum of the Royal Welsh or play with clay. If you’re not in the country, you can join a talk online; we love the sound of the Ritual House Protection chat!
National Maritime Museum
There’s a rich brew of events at the museums around Greenwich this half-term. Be inspired by Diwali, and enjoy activities themed around light at the National Maritime Museum, discover horrible and creepy histories at the Cutty Sark, go behind the scenes of the Prince Philip Maritime Collections Centre or even learn traditional boat-building skills.
Manchester Science Festival
Manchester’s Science and Industry Museum’s annual festival is underway. Hung around Turn It Up a major new, hands-on exhibition that explores the science of music, the venue is home to family zones where you can explore a carbon supermarket, wildlife-friendly gardens and take part in interactive experiments, a playful choreography installation, and music-making workshops. There are more events across the city; find a pop-up at Manchester Library, a late-night peek at the future of sex and a Nocturnal Nature tour at Castlefield Viaduct. Most events free, some ticketed. Find the full programme here
Virtual Iceland
Take a trip to Iceland, absolutely free! A secret door at the back of Phonica Records in London leads to the frosty country, where you can spend a family day. Hang out in the first-class lounge, learn your Icelandic name, play the floor is lava and help a volcano erupt. Free tickets, timed entry. Find out more here
MAKE HALLO-GREEN
Many Halloween costumes and decorations are a disaster for the environment, but natural decorations are gentler on our planet and can look a lot spookier! Why not take time out ahead of the spookiest night of the year to make your own? These yarn-and-branch spider webs and stick skeletons are striking enough to stay up until Christmas, and ghost leaves will lurk in corners long after Halloween. Or gather up some pinecones and make these cute bats or quirky looking owls!
Swerve shop-bought costumes and sew or make your own from existing clothes. Our ideas for last-minute costumes are here. This bat costume uses old umbrellas as wings, while there are super-cute ideas for owl wings, sharks and animal ear headbands here and spiders and skeletons here. The spooking power of the classic sheet ghost should never be under-estimated!
MAKE AND RECIPE THE GREAT PUMPKIN
Lantern making means that there’s a lot of spare pumpkin flying about ahead of Halloween. Don’t waste its sweet goodness - find three of our favourite ideas here and more about growing and using pumpkins here! Alternatively, rustle up a batch of pumpkin puree and pumpkin pie spice and to use in waffles or vegan spice drinks. Or use the beautiful vegetable as a pot and serve pumpkin humous or baked pumpkin fondue – how pretty are these ideas?We adore a warming pumpkin soup, spiked with chilli, and Nigel Slater’s version, which comes complete with pumpkin seed rosti is warming and cosy. Or make a pumpkin cake perfect for scoffing on dark November nights. Don’t waste the seeds - they make crunchy snacks.
Frog Bikes
Lightweight bikes designed specifically for children - More...
EVENT VEG OUT
November is World Vegan Month! Not only is going vegan good for animals, and our bodies, it’s also going to play a vital role in saving our environment. It’s also a cheaper diet; find the society’s guide to budget vegan eats, (we are SO trying out the Savoury Miso Oats and Jack Monroe’s Nasu Dengaku Buns), cost comparison research, budget tips and practical blogs that are firmly in the real world.
WHAT WE’RE EATING: Easy vegan pumpkin chocolate chip cookies that are chewy and soft rather than cakey! Made with only 7 ingredients, they are fresh from the kitchen of Anthea Cheng of Rainbow Nourishments. Get the recipe here
WHAT WE’RE WATCHING: Autumnwatch The arrival of a new season of the beloved BBC nature programme is like greeting an old friend. This week, it feels as if they’ve come bearing apples, berries and a flask of hot soup. The team are broadcasting live from west Wales; expect to see rutting stags, hares, goshawks, buzzards and seals. The live show is a joy, but there’s even more goodness to be found on their website; live webcams, quizzes and lots of ways you can get involved in the wild world. Find more here
REMEMBER: Get prepared for clocks spinning back an hour on Saturday October 29 now! Five Ways To Cope With Clocks Going Back
