Bonoween 2021

After pretty much cancelling Bonoween 2020 due to Covid we were very pleased to be able to host in 2021 and resume usual Bonoween business. It was absolutely fabulous to have all the family together again to enjoy some freakish food and some Halloween antics and has left me feeling really excited about Boxing Day this year.

We were a bit lazy with our costumes this year and simply bought the set pf Squid Game masks. However it was really good to see others had made more of an effort. I think we all agreed the winning fancy dress this year was Nicky's frog costume.

As to the recipes, well my pumpkin cheesecake suffered a bit of a bake-off moment. As the metal tin was lifted the cheese filling wasn't quite set and started to rapidly spread sideways. I was so disappointed as I have made many cheesecakes and never had this happen - I can only put it down to the moisture in the pumpkin. The taste was still very good, it just looked a mess. So that opened the door for Nicky to swoop in again and win the recipe competition with a rather nice cheese fondant served in an open pumpkin with some nice fresh bread.

Then last but not least I was lazy yet again with a boring and predictable Squid Game logo pumpkin carving which was resound idly beaten by Amy's ghost carving. Anyway the evening was a real blast with a few silly games, lots of food and some sparklers as well.

This should have won the recipe comp - however we bought it from Cadbury World and didn't make it.

Loads of freakish food ready for the family to arrive.

Nicky's winning frog costume.

Amy's gory face paint which left Rory a bit confused.

Shay had the purge mask which is what I wanted to get for me and the boys.

Michael was Coco, although I thought it was more Cobra-kai.

Min, Lea and Holly.

Scary bride Holly.

Rory as Captain America.

Holly teaching Rory how to play some games.

Amy and Shay going at it on the curling game.

Nicky preparing her cheese fondont.

The winning recipe for 2021.

The Bake-Off moment when my cheese cake fails!

From left to right, Holly's, Joshua's, Brandon's, mine and the Amy's pumpkin carvings.

David enjoying some sparkler fun.

Holly loved the sparklers.

Your never too old for a sparkler.

Lisa playing with sparklers (keeping her mask on as she wasn't feeling well).

Auntie Lea and Matt.

It was as much as I could do to keep up with lighting the sparklers for everyone. As fast as I got one lit, someone's ran out.

But I got a little go on the very last sprkler.

Amy and Shay.

More of Holly.

Brandon made it out of the house for a sparkler or two (not sure Josh bothered).

Yes David was wearing a Xmas jumper!!!!!!!!

And to finish, here is our Bonoween 2021 family picture.

Trick or Treat 2021

This years Halloween has been a bit of an anticlimax so far. Because we was away last weekend we missed out on going pumpkin picking as everywhere was closed. Luckily we got a few at Tesco's, but to be honest the boys really weren't interested in doing them. So me and Holly carved one out, Josh sort of started but never finished, and Brandon did his about a day later.

Tina has been entertaining Holly with some Halloween activities which has included making some delicious ginger bread cookies and some rather snazzy pumpkin earrings made from loom bands.

When it came to trick or treating this was the first year that the boys have not wanted to go out. So this year it was just me and Holly out walking the streets, collecting Candy and looking at the Halloween decorations. There was certainly a lot of Squid Game costumes out and about which makes my "Squid Game" pumpkin look really predictable. Anyway me and H had fun trick or treating and she managed to fill a whole bucket full of sweets.

Holly was keen to make her own pumpkin carving this year.

She did the entire design and cutting all by herself.

Joshua came and briefly joined us, but his pumpkin still isn't finished even today!

They grow up so quickly, how long before this one doesn't want to carve pumpkins as well?

My effort for 2021 was the predictable"Squid Games".

This is Holly's pumpkin all lit up.

And the other side of Holly's.

Some delicious Halloween cookies that Holly decorated.

She is certainly getting good at her arts and crafts as they look amazing.

Tina helped Holly make these loom band pumpkin earrings. Very creative.

Out trick or treating with H and she got her fortune told at a spooky fortune teller booth.

This house just around the corner from us really goes to town every year with their Halloween decs.

The spoils of a good nights trick or treating.

So the boys didn't want to go trick or treating, but they certainly wanted a part of Holly's sweet haul when they saw what she had.

Southend Halloween Parade & Fireworks

To start our Halloween weekend we headed in to Southend yesterday (the newly promoted City in Essex) to watch the Halloween Parade and the seafront firework display. The fireworks have been cancelled for the last 2 or 3 weeks due to weather and the murder of David Amess, so we knew this weekend would be super busy with the Parade on as well. So we decided to take the train rather than drive as we figured the cost of fuel and parking probably would make that much difference, but would be a lot easier and less stressful.

The parade was ok. I think Holly enjoyed it but the boys weren't impressed. There were some very good displays and floats and then a lot of local clubs etc which was not all that interesting. But some of the costumes were very impressive. The fireworks were absolutely amazing this year and I have to say it is really impressive that Southend council put this on every year completely free of charge. We sat there with soem nice chip and donuts and really enjoyed the 15-20 min firework spectacular.

On the way home the train was definitely the right option as the traffic coming out of Southend was absolutely rammed. Since we were on the train we also indulged in a new first for the kids and bought a couple of kebab's for them to try. It was probably the first time in 15-20 years that I have had a kebab and certainly the first time any of the kids had tried them.

It is not often Holly goes on a train so she was happy with our decision to not drive.

The ghostly drum band started the parade off and were very good.

Super base on the drums and they all lit up as well which looked really cool.

Some of the costumes were very good.

There had to be Ghostbusters there somewhere.

The Mask.

Not quite sure why Minie Mouse was in a Halloween Parade, but Holly was happy to see her.

The RNLI float.

This large dragon was really impressive.

This picture really shows the size of the dragon.

Some very tall Halloween costumes.

More from the large characters.

Very colourful.

The wicked witch.

Holly and Tina watching the parade.

Some very colourful skeletons.

Along comes the coffin.

A very large skeleton costume.

Even Batman was there.

I thought this costume was pretty amazing.

As was this one.

Another very impressive dragon that looks great with all the led lights.

Whilst we waited for the fireworks the kids had a little go on some of the arcades.

Of course Holly played her 2p machines and won a poppet in the shape of an ice-cream.

We had prime spot right in front of the barge for the fireworks.

They didn't disappoint as they illuminated the night sky at Southend seafront.

More of the fireworks.

The big finale before heading for the train home.