The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Homes are transformed into ghostly film sets
It is not just the Campbell family who are spending thousands of pounds transforming their properties into trails of terror to raise money for charity.
This year two homes – one in Ashford, Kent, and the other in Brighton, Sussex – have taken on film themes to attract the crowds and are raising money for Macmillan Cancer Support.
Linda Oussalah pulled out the stops, spending more than £1,500 on her horror film-themed display in her driveway in Loudon Way, Ashford.
Visitors this year were greeted with a mausoleum. Once inside, volunteer neighbours and relatives dressed as famous horror characters to jump out at any moment in the creepy clown room.
Visitors then faced scenes from Friday the 13th, Jigsaw and this year’s blockbuster remake of Stephen King’s It.
Mrs Oussalah, 51, was helped by her 22-year-old son Samir and 20-year-old daughter Amina, as well as a whole street of neighbours and friend James Quinn, who is recovering from cancer treatment.
Meanwhile, Ollie Slim and his husband Ollie Blackaby gave everything in their garden in Highcroft Villas, Brighton, a Tim Burton twist.
It is complete with a giant figure of pumpkin king Jack Skellington, the main character in the Nightmare Before Christmas and a Mad Hatter tea party from the film director’s latest take on Alice in Wonderland.
Mr Slim, 41, who dressed up as character Beetlejuice for the occasion, said: “I love Halloween more than Christmas.
“We live in between two primary schools and children started visiting in the run-up to Halloween so each year we added a bit more. We’ve raised more than a thousand pounds this year so far.”