Spooktacular Halloween displays in Ickwell village

'The Halloween trail was so exciting for the little ones and brilliantly thought out'
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There were spooky goings on in Ickwell to celebrate Halloween on Sunday, as the villagers pulled out all the stops to create some hair-raising displays.

Talented staff and parents from Ickwell Pre-school created a scare-tastic trail for youngsters and parents to explore, with ghoulish characters along the way and a mystery code to crack.

The activity was to help raise money for the school and there was also a pumpkin competition for creative little ones to enter.

The Wilkinson family display. Photo: Mike Wells.The Wilkinson family display. Photo: Mike Wells.
The Wilkinson family display. Photo: Mike Wells.

Stephanie Lawrence, committee chair at Ickwell Pre-school, said: "The Halloween trail was a great success, and despite the heavy rain and wind in the morning whilst we were setting up it soon cleared to be a sunny day for those taking part.

"This is our second year running the trail and we will definitely do it again next year! It was so lovely to see all the children dressed up in their costumes and how excited they were once they completed the trail to collect their goodie bags.

"We also had a pumpkin competition and the top three winners were: Harry Taylor, Alannah Reed and Hattie Reilly.

"In total we raised over £400 which is a fantastic amount and it will be used to purchase new equipment and resources for the pre-school."

Billy and Bonnie enjoy the displays. Photos: Lewis Field.Billy and Bonnie enjoy the displays. Photos: Lewis Field.
Billy and Bonnie enjoy the displays. Photos: Lewis Field.

One parent said: "The Halloween trail was so exciting for the little ones and brilliantly thought out. They got to mix the witch's cauldron filled with green slime and eyeballs, see the glowing mummies in their cave, play with spaghetti brains and find all the clues to solve the mystery puzzle.

"My little one and her friend had a wonderful time (as did the adults wandering around picturesque Ickwell green)."

Another added: "I loved the small community feel and seeing the children excited to find the spooky stops, trying to crack the Halloween code."

Parent Lewis Field, of LEF Landscaping, helped the school to set up the displays by transporting parts to the green.

The Ickwell Pre-school trail. Photos: Stephanie Lawrence.The Ickwell Pre-school trail. Photos: Stephanie Lawrence.
The Ickwell Pre-school trail. Photos: Stephanie Lawrence.

His wife, Holly, is treasurer on the preschool committee, and the couple, along with their twins Bonnie and Billy, three, loved exploring the spooky trail.

Lewis said: "You started off at the school and collected a map, and at each display there was a letter which made up a jumbled up word - werewolf.

"There was a big spiderweb, a mummy, zombies...

"We made a scarecrow for the display, filled him up with straw and put a pumpkin on his head."

Halloween at the Wilkinson's. Photo: Mike Wells.Halloween at the Wilkinson's. Photo: Mike Wells.
Halloween at the Wilkinson's. Photo: Mike Wells.

He added: "It's important to the village because it brings us all together. The kids made friends with each other and we all raised money for the pre-school."

Meanwhile, individual households got equally creative.

The Wilkinson family - mum Jane, dad David, and daughter Holly, 11, created a creepy display in their garden.

Jane said: "It was lit by UV light with glow in the dark paint. When it was fully dark it really stood out as we had painted all the body parts. People like something different; it's a big scale display.

"Last year we had a witch on a motorbike coming through the hedge and used a smoke machine, which we had this year, too.

"Kids love diggers - and smoke machines - so I think they loved the overall effect!"

Jane works as a project manager for shop fitting and construction, so had a few spare mannequins for the display, while David, who works in civil engineering and construction, has been using the family's own digger to carry out work on their property.

Jane laughed: "It's a good job there's a pile of bricks and soil, and bits of garden you can dig up!

"It was our daughter Holly's idea to put the body parts in the digger, and she loves getting involved in the creation and crafting of things."

When asked if they will create a display next year, Jane said: "I think we've got to haven't we! I think people would be disappointed if they walk past next year and don't see anything.

"It's really enjoyable to do something that gives people that smile and that enjoyment. It's about people have a smile and a laugh on the night."

Jane also wished to give a shout out to all the other creative displays in the village, as well as a spook-tacular Strictly Come Dancing themed display in Northill.