Youngsters invited to learn pumpkin carving for Halloween
Shrewsbury’s busy Darwin Shopping Centre has gone pumpkin potty as it gears up for a spooktacular Halloween celebration.
They’ve taken delivery of a pile of giant pumpkins and will be staging special half-term Halloween pumpkin carving classes at a workshop at the centre on Wednesday, October 30.
The Shrewsbury Shopping Centres’ community co-ordinator, Maggie Love, has also kitted herself out with genuine American-style safety pumpkin parers and is issuing an invitation to local youngsters under 12 to get creative.
As well as the pumpkin carving workshop on Halloween Day, Thursday, October 31, the Centres will be staging a special Trek and Treat fancy dress event attended by the Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor John Tandy.
He will lead the children on tour of participating stores which will be handing out goodies before judging the fancy dress competition with prizes for five to eight and nine to 12 age groups.
Maggie Love said: “It’s going to be great fun and we’ve already got a fantastic window display at the community unit on the Darwin Centre’s Middle Level which is where we’ll be carving the pumpkins.
“The pumpkin-carving workshop will be from 11am to 4pm on Wednesday and they’re something I’ve been doing for ten years and I use a lot of American tools and patterns.
“Marks and Spencer have done me a good deal and donated 30 pumpkins as well and we’ve got our own pumpkin patch here in a special window display at the Darwin Centre.
“When the pumpkin is carved it becomes a Jack’o’Lantern and the legend is that Jack is a lost soul and the light in the pumpkin guides him safely home so it’s a very positive thing.”
Thursday will see the Mayor lead the Trek and Treat parade to which youngsters are invited to come in fancy dress and the Mayor will judge the age group competitions with the winners getting a tasty chocolate prize from Pride Hill Centre store Green Ginger.
Kevin Lockwood, Manager of the Darwin, Pride Hill and Riverside Shopping Centres, said: “We’ve got lots of stores taking part in the Darwin and Pride Hill Centres and as it’s half term we’re hoping for a really good turnout.
-- Yoland Brown Brownhill House B&B, Ruyton XI Towns, nr. Shrewsbury SY4 1LR ShACC - Shropshire Alternative Car Club www.eleventowns.co.uk www.eleventowns.com www.ShACC-uk.org Tel: 01939 261 121 Fax: 01939 260626
