Ghosts, ghouls and ….. the great British weather

A downpour didn't dampen the spirits of revellers who came out to enjoy the main event in this year’s Whitefield Halloween Festival.

Children young and old listened to tales of olde from a medieval storyteller, and watched on in horror as a medieval surgeon showed them how they cured ailments back in the day. Back for the second year was the Festival Dragon who walked around the park and entertained the children.

The festival has boasted a huge range of activities this year. Throughout half-term, there has been creative pumpkin carving with the Pumpkin Lady, dance workshops with Debra Simmons Dance, and Lantern Making and Tarot Workshops with Gates of Nempthys.

There have been talks by Dr Hannah Priest fromManchesterMetropolitanUniversityabout medieval monsters, bat talks, published horror writers, and even presentations from a real life monster hunter, crypto-zoologist Richard Freeman. There was even a midnight vigil above The White Room in Whitefield, which was once a Chapel of Rest. School children have entered poetry competitions and creative monster making and taken part in lantern parades.

The Festival Cake, made by John Slattery, was auctioned off at the launch of the festival and won by Simon Toft from Whitefield McDonalds, which raised much needed funds for the community event. Local brewery Outstanding Beers made special festival beer with cinnamon, treacle and ginger.

The festival concluded with another lantern parade from Whitefield Library followed by classic horror film showing and midnight vigil in The White Room.

Alex Stacey, chair of Whitefield Business Group, said: "Despite the weather, we are really thankful for the people who bravely supported us on the day. The event has been amazingly well organised and well received and we are impressed with the number of people who have engaged with us over the full week of the events."

Ruth Shedwick, from Bury Council’s town centres team, said: "This is Year Two of the festival and we are pleased to see the community embracing the spirit behind the event. We are working with the police and fire services on projects which bring people into our green spaces and see what our townships have to offer. With nothing like it in theNorth West, we hope to build on these successes year on year."

ENDS

Press release issued: 31 October 2012.

Picture attached: The Festival Dragon, and police cadets, at the Whitefield Halloween Festival.