Am I just a 'Grumpy Old Woman' ?

CHARLEY, too true and we ALL got much pleasure, AND as you say not a Kings ransom to organise.

Nonu that is the perfect way to entertain children that evening, simple and fairly cheap to organise and you did not spend several pensions on bombs going off.

Little Moreton Hall in Cheshire is celebrating "Hallowtide" and have researched what the Tudors would have done at this time of year. Their custom of soul-caking continued through the 19th-century. Later, those visiting houses expected to receive cakes, apples, drink, or money at each house in response to their singing a souling rhyme, which would vary from each county. Nowadays, we know this custom as Trick or Treat.

good post DURJ, -- 11.35 We"ve had our G/C here for the last few days.
So, on Friday 31st we had a" Hallowen evening," special tea, everyone dressed up, then we went into the garden and had sparklers and glow sticks, dipping the apple, carved pumpkins with the a candle glowing inside.
They just loved it as indeed we did , this is what happens these days with the youngsters , all their friends do it . In fact, if they had been at home with their parents, they told us they would have gone "trick or treating".
All harmless fun IMO

Luckily my cat does not appear to be too bothered but it may be different if I was out. She does get startled when we think that the war is starting in our front or rear gardens. The "booms" last night were horrific and probably very expensive to buy. I am hoping for rain this evening- I then will be a GOW with a GOW in my hand!

I hate Halloween and all that goes with it - it's silly, expensive and has been imported - should be banned - unnecessary expenditure on fireworks whe Nov 5th is only days away - animals hate it too (obviously)!

I like that definition of GOW, Charleygirl. I needed two GOW last night as the fireworks I could hear made me think the Army was on a training exercise nearby - why are they so loud?

We once had a cat who actually appeared to love fireworks! It was extraordinary to see her rush to push aside the curtains to peer out at the first sound of a firework. She`d remain watching until the last one and gave every sign of thoroughly enjoying it. The other cats would crouch in front of the fire casting anxious glances at us for reassurance. I reckon that if Teeny could have clapped and cheered she would have. She was a real ninjah cat though and scared the living daylights out of passing dogs.

Mine too Charleygirl!

suevie34 it is a friend of mine who emails me saying that she and her husband are about to have a GOW with or without a meal and it has stuck with me for years. I approve of it, but mine would be in the plural!

It's WW3 here too. Very worried my newly adopted cat would have kittens at the noise, metaphorically speaking, but she hasn't twitched a whisker. I guess there will be another week of it at the very least.

I like your definition for GOW, Charleygirl!

Diwali has been celebrated recently here with fireworks going off 4-5 nights in a row. Tonight it sounds like the start of WW3, I dread to think what these fireworks cost and how many more nights we have to endure this awful noise, probably until New Year. Yes, I am a GOW. I still think that those letters mean a glass of wine, much more preferable!

When exactly is Hallowe'en? Is it me, or does it mean the evening of the 31st October (ie the evening before All Hallows Day)?

If so, then how did we have 'the warmest Hallowe'en on record - 24C in some places' as the BBC and ITV kept telling us? It wasn't that warm in the evening, only in the day time.

Or am I just being picky? Or grumpy? Or both?

They are cadbury's choc. Screme eggs.

Next ? Fireworks started here about a week ago. (as I type this bangs etc are going off outside)

We have bonfire night next don't forget.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo not the "C" word again, and I can't believe we've already seen the "E" word.

Hallowe'en is now over and soon shop staff will be wearing Santa hats and the piped music will be desecrating Christmas carols.......
Grumpy? Moi?

I suppose dressing up at work is a bit of fun for stressed overworked under paid staff? Its a cheap morale raiser for the management.
I remember in the hospital ward my MIL was in the staff seemed to go berserk with the Halloween decorations. All at their own expense and sadly completely unappreciated by the poor old residents who were extremely ill. However, the staff had tried so hard, (just as they went decoratively overboard at Christmas) that us visitors couldn't but admire their dedication and attempts to cheer the place up. Sorry wandered off the thread but I could never get over the shock of that dingy ward transforming into an orange and black, blood dripping fiesta of a place with the largely comatose residents hardly noticing. It was a shame.

Aren't Cadbury's Creme Eggs on sale all year round, hilda?

Me too pompa - now I will have to eat get rid of all those chocs!

Now I'm really grumpy, got everything set up for Halloween callers, bowl of sweets (special spooky ones) bucket of water over the door !.

BUT - no one called, rumours of the grumpy old git must have circulated the village ghouls.

I can see where you are coming from with my post of 18.44 gillybob but I was referring to the 'mischief night' shenanigins. Colleagues of mine who did live in the area where they taught had quite nasty things happen to their property - rotten eggs through letter boxes, graffiti on walls and doors, garden gates removed and burnt etc etc. and teachers were a particular target. And all in the name of good fun. So on the night of 4th November (mischief night) I was very pleased not to live in the area.

Forget Halloween, I have been informed this morning, that Waitrose has the first delivery of Cadbury's Cream Eggs and mini eggs on Christmas Eve.
When is Easter - April?

Oh the irony papaoscar and of course there is no blood or death in a "good old fashioned war film" is there?