Fright time for Halloween insist fun-loving family
House is decorated weeks before the day
AFAMILY who are ‘batty’ about Halloween insist there is nothing wrong with starting their celebrations - in September!
Charlotte and Michael Aldus and their children Oscar, 4, Theo, 3, and Skylar, 2, say the spooky festival is their favourite time of year - after Christmas - and they are determined to enjoy it, especially with so much gloomy news around at the moment.
Every year they decorate the front of their home on Davitt Close, Haslingden weeks in advance of the witching hour. They admit their take on the festival has divided opinion and the family were “heartbroken” recently after their inflatable display was vandalised.
Charlotte, who is studying to be an end-of-life carer, said: “They walked by and punched it or did something to it. We couldn’t quite see on CCTV, but it ripped the underneath of the inflatables. We had to take it down and it’s still not quite right.
“We were heartbroken. Our kids love it and everybody else’s kids love it. We never expected anything to get vandalised ever. They’ve damaged it, but we are going to decorate it ten times better now.”
The Aldus family’s plans have been affected by uncertainty over rules around trick or treating this year, however ideas include a pumpkin arch, graveyard and smoke machine. Last year they put up a projector outside, and they are planning another last-minute surprise to maintain the children’s excitement.
“Our neighbours think we are a bit batty and crazy for doing it, especially how early we put them up,” admitted Charlotte, 22. They are always wondering what we are going to do each year!
“We have had the odd person saying it’s way too early. But we class it just like Christmas, you don’t put the tree up on Christmas Day. It’s nice seeing people joining in and makes it fun when the kids are walking to school.
“We have still got a lot more to do. We put so much time and effort in.”