Youngsters invited to learn pumpkin carving for Halloween
Shrewsbury’s busy Darwin Shopping Centre has gone pumpkin potty and chocolate crazy 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 and chocolate making classes at a workshop at the centre on Thursday, October 30.
And this year the Shopping Centres are working with Shrewsbury Rotary Club and their Crocus Campaign against polio and joining in will be an expert on pumpkins, and everything else that grows, the first lady of Shropshire horticulture, Margaret Thrower.
The Centre’s Pumpkin-Carving Classes will be held in the unit next to Masarellas from 11am to 4pm that day when Shrewsbury Shopping Centres’ community co-ordinator, Maggie Love, has kitted herself out with genuine American-style safety pumpkin parers and is issuing an open invitation to local youngsters and their families to get creative.
And then on Halloween Day, Friday, October 31, the Centres will be staging a special Trek and Treat fancy dress event attended by the Mayor of Shrewsbury, Councillor Beverley Baker.
At 11am she will lead the children on a 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 unit on the Darwin Centre’s Middle Level which is where we’ll be carving the pumpkins.
“I lived in the USA for 15 years and Halloween is a really fantastic family occasion, not at all ghoulish, and that’s what we’re aiming to create here in Shrewsbury.
“The pumpkin-carving workshop will be from 11am to 4pm on Thursday and they’re something I’ve been doing for ten years and I use a lot of American tools and patterns.
“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.”
Friday 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 for some lovely prizes.
For more details on the Shrewsbury Shopping Halloween activities go to www.shrewsburyshopping.co.uk and to register for the Pumpkin Carving Workshop go to http://www.shrewsbury-shopping.co.uk/events/pumpkin-carving-and-chocolate-making-workshop/registration
-- 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 Yo's blog: http://yo-emails.blogspot.co.uk
