Trick or treating is big business round where we live - and on October 31 our street starts to resemble Hogwarts, with little witches and wizards everywhere. I always make sure I have a copious supply of sweets ready for the after-school candy-grabbers, the 5pm shift and the tea-time collectors. And of course every year we have a pumpkin on our doorstep with a nightlight inside to ward off evil spirits.
But last year we seemed to be deluged with BIG trick or treaters, hoardes of teenage Hermiones and Harry's. Some of them wore Scream masks (slighly scary in the dark, actually), some weren't even in costume and I began to feel as though we were being Halloween mugged (Hugged?) on our doorstep.
By 8pm I decided enough was enough (and besides, we'd run out of sweets). So I decided not to answer the door.
The following morning I discovered the porch was covered in pieces of smashed pumpkin. The mystery callers had kicked it all round the front garden.
This year the pumpkin can go in the back garden, and I think I might put a sign up on the front gate at 8pm - Abandon Hope All Ye Who Enter Here, something like that.