A Spooky Safari Tale

A Spooky Safari Tale…….It was early in October 2020 that Wye Dene resident, Geraldine McColgan, first posted on social media asking if any Wye Dene residents would be interested in taking part in an ‘alternative’ Halloween celebration to replace what has become the traditional Trick or Treat activity.

She was blown away by the positive responses she received from residents who wanted to take part in decorating their properties and creating a safe Halloween walk and she set about planning the route. Not content with involving Wye Dene residents, Geraldine set about approaching her local Wycombe Marsh contacts and Paula, (the Wrights Meadow Centre Manager), to see if they would assist with the event.

A successful application to Marsh & Micklefield Big Local (for funding to pay for decorations at Wrights Meadow Centre and to showcase the route) enabled the team to purchase some amazing ‘spooky’ items.

A big shout and huge thanks go to Emily Stroud who worked sheer witchcraft in producing the route map based on the information Geraldine supplied via messages alone and to Marsh & Micklefield Big Local for their amazing poster to advertise the event.

Wrights Meadow Centre were delighted to be approached and be the starting point for what had by then become The Spooky Safari, especially as they had been forced to cancel their annual and much anticipated children’s Halloween party. The Centre went all out with their decorations and the Centre team were delighted to see so many families dressed up and enjoying themselves at a Covid19 safe event.

Geraldine and the team spent part of Thursday evening and Friday morning decorating the trail ready for its first visitors on Friday evening and along with shop purchased scary decorations there were some quite frightening home-made items, guaranteed to send a shiver down the spine!

Friday 30th October saw a steady flow of families throughout the day and evening following and enjoying the trail. Saturday 31st was busier but the layout and the fact it was an outside event meant the trail was never overcrowded, and social distancing was easily maintained by those walking in their groups. The children, (and adults), seemed genuinely delighted seeing the ghosts and spooky items on the route and residents went all out to produce some amazing and scary decorations and themes for their properties.

Feedback received via social media indicates that the walk appears to have been a great success.

Thank you to all those residents who decorated their properties, and everyone involved in making the event a success. Keep your eyes peeled for the mischievous Elf on the Shelf and his Christmas antics………..