Topic ID 2152
Could I, through the medium of this site, urge parents, particularly those of teenagers, to ask their children to consider the ramifications of so called "trick or treat" at halloween. For some elderly people, this is truly a worrying time. "Trick or Treat", although, as far as I know, an American import, can be fun for young children, but when gangs of teenagers descend upon someone who they don't know, it can be alarming. So, please, ask them to stop and think about the concern they may be causing. Hertfordshire Constabulary has issued some leaflets which may be displayed in elderly or vulnerable persons homes to be displayed in the window, stating "No trick or treat please". Can I ask those of you with teens who may be going out to "trick or treat" to ask them to respect those signs and leave the occupants alone. Thanks
Reply ID 29081
well said that person!
Reply ID 29082
In our neighbourhood it is understood by most people that you only trick or treat at houses displaying a pumpkin or other obvious Halloween sign. In America, no self-respecting teenager would go trick or treating as it is seen as a babyish thing to do. I hope that message starts to kick in over here. I welcome trick or treaters BUT not on any night other than Halloween, not after 9pm, not in large groups and not over primary school age.
Reply ID 29083
On the same topic - does anyone know of any adult Halloween parties at any local venues?
Reply ID 29085
quote:I know of a pub venue in Hertford that is running a Halloween party.
Originally posted by Millster
On the same topic - does anyone know of any adult Halloween parties at any local venues?
Reply ID 29086
I put a sign out saying no Trick or Treat after 7pm as baby asleep. Last yr it was respected, could hear people coming to the door, reading it and walking away.
Reply ID 29100
I was in a pub in the City last wek when a kid came in trick or treating with a bucket to collect money. The kid was ignored by most (rightly in my view) and the lurking adult told where to go by some. I blame Spielberg for the whole thing.
Reply ID 29102
A long time ago we took a group of 6-7 year olds to an American Air Force base to join in their trick or treat. Before we started it was pointed out that you only trick-or-treat at houses that have their outside light on.
Reply ID 29153
Herts Police advice to trick or treaters: Do not knock on the doors of strangers – only visit people you know. Unless pre-arranged, do not visit elderly members of the community. and... Parents should also keep an eye on their egg and flour supplies to stop such items being obtained and misused. (http://www.herts.police.uk/about/stakeholders_bulletin.htm) No mention of outside lights or pumpkins... do we need a Halloween Code?
Reply ID 29159
quote:Do we need halloween?[}:)]
No mention of outside lights or pumpkins... do we need a Halloween Code?
Reply ID 29202
Apparently the tradition of Trick or Treat hails from Scottish settlers in the Americas who used to have what they called 'Mischief Night'. They didn't bugger about asking people for sweeties though, they would just steal your gate.
Reply ID 29206
quote:.......and nobody dared complain, in case they took offence, I suppose. Ah, the old ones are still....the old ones.[:D]
Originally posted by Herbert Lemons
Apparently the tradition of Trick or Treat hails from Scottish settlers in the Americas who used to have what they called 'Mischief Night'. They didn't bugger about asking people for sweeties though, they would just steal your gate.
Reply ID 29239
And so it begins [:(!][:(!] My front room window has had an egg thrown at it. Why do older children ruin it for others.
Reply ID 29242
quote:Was this by kids who had knocked at your door or just a random act of stupidity?
Originally posted by GillP
And so it begins [:(!][:(!] My front room window has had an egg thrown at it. Why do older children ruin it for others.
Reply ID 29246
quote:A friend of mine was travelling along West Street a couple of days ago and had some eggs thrown at her car by some teenagers that were hiding behind some parked cars.These boys have nothing to do with the innocent trick'n'treaters but they give them a bad name[:(]
Originally posted by GillP
And so it begins [:(!][:(!] My front room window has had an egg thrown at it. Why do older children ruin it for others
Reply ID 29249
we have had a pleasant all hallows eve, however could Jamie Oliver get involved in introducing healthy treats as 30+ sweets might not be ideal for our daughters health![;)]
Reply ID 29252
quote:Pretty sure it was teenagers. Most of the callers have been little ones with their mums standing at the end of the path. Maybe it was older siblings getting me back for giving boxes of rasins [}:)] John Smith.... any egg on your windows or car???
Originally posted by Ewoowarquote:Was this by kids who had knocked at your door or just a random act of stupidity?
Originally posted by GillP
And so it begins [:(!][:(!] My front room window has had an egg thrown at it. Why do older children ruin it for others.
Reply ID 29254
quote:We have had to clean eggs from our windows and the car in West Street, albeit 10 days ago!
Originally posted by dutch knightquote:A friend of mine was travelling along West Street a couple of days ago and had some eggs thrown at her car by some teenagers that were hiding behind some parked cars.These boys have nothing to do with the innocent trick'n'treaters but they give them a bad name[:(]
Originally posted by GillP
And so it begins [:(!][:(!] My front room window has had an egg thrown at it. Why do older children ruin it for others
Reply ID 29257
From the posts by Dutch Knight and Rooster I reckon there are some mischievous oiks hurling eggs in the area that are nothing to do with Halloween. Hopefully you should only need to catch them once and alert a parent to stop the attacks.
Reply ID 29258
I've had great fun with the kids this year! They really appreciate it if you decorate the house or garden and dress up for them - we had over 100 kids round in little groups. Nobody came after 8.15pm, almost all were under 11 yrs old and all were polite.
Reply ID 29260
Sorry all BUT Am I the only one here who is thinking ... "What is this all about????" Halloween is one thing - but all of this trick or treat crap is as UK traditional as Mom's apple pies and Home Coming Queens! Hertord isn't a USA backwater - or, has Tony Blair finally managed it??
Reply ID 29263
No eggs for us but she who must be obeyed really gets into it. Decorates the porch and has plenty of sweets to give out. Me? Can't stand the stupid American excuse to get us to waste more money.
Reply ID 29265
I would like to thank the teenage darlings who saw fit to pour golden syrup over the bonnet of my car because I was arm deep in washing up suds at the time of their ringing the doorbell. No other car in the road was targeted and I am exceedingly p'd off with their brain-dead version of "humour". Going to buy a tin of syrup with a clear aim to use it for non-edible purposes shows deliberate intent to cause problems for others and I expect the karma police to be knocking on their doors in due course. Little bastards. [:(!][:(!][:(!]
Reply ID 29275
quote:On one level I am inclined to agree - I hate the way that shops are building it up every year. But the kids love it, and at the moment it is a) for one night only b) for about 3 hours c) doesn't involve cards or gifts d) isn't connected with a specific religion e) voluntary participation f) mostly for little kids It is also neighbourly in our area. It is wonderful to see so many children out and about with their parents, calling on other neighbours and having a laugh on the doorstep. I prefer Halloween to Christmas.
Originally posted by Deveraux
Sorry all BUT Am I the only one here who is thinking ... "What is this all about????" Halloween is one thing - but all of this trick or treat crap is as UK traditional as Mom's apple pies and Home Coming Queens! Hertord isn't a USA backwater - or, has Tony Blair finally managed it??
Reply ID 29289
quote:Not connected with a specific religion? I know a lot of Christian folk who would argue that it's actually a deeply disturbing bow towards Satanism and devil worship. [}:)] I'm also not so sure about the voluntary participation bit - I can't see that Mr P volunteered to have golden syrup poured over his car!
Originally posted by nora battyquote:On one level I am inclined to agree - I hate the way that shops are building it up every year. But the kids love it, and at the moment it is a) for one night only b) for about 3 hours c) doesn't involve cards or gifts d) isn't connected with a specific religion e) voluntary participation f) mostly for little kids It is also neighbourly in our area. It is wonderful to see so many children out and about with their parents, calling on other neighbours and having a laugh on the doorstep. I prefer Halloween to Christmas.
Originally posted by Deveraux
Sorry all BUT Am I the only one here who is thinking ... "What is this all about????" Halloween is one thing - but all of this trick or treat crap is as UK traditional as Mom's apple pies and Home Coming Queens! Hertord isn't a USA backwater - or, has Tony Blair finally managed it??
Reply ID 29296
I seem to have misunderstood. When the little blighters say "Trick or treat" and having no treats, I take the other option. I now find I'm the one supposed to have unpleasant things done to me, not the other way round and it's intended to be an early introduction to extortion by demanding confectionry with menaces. Oh well, that explains all those crying children. Doh!
Reply ID 29299
Trick or Treat - It's a frankly daft pursuit but not many of our wee customs can stand up to much analysis. Indeed how did we get from the resurrection of the Son of God to painting boiled eggs & rolling them down hills. If you get them coming around tonight then we really need to start asking questions. Do people do Penny for the Guy these days?
Reply ID 29300
I had my first 'visitation' last night by a supervised group of dressed up 6-7 year olds accompanyed by 3 Mums. Not a problem. Too commercial but isn't everything. Nora - didn't Mr Batty do the Wheelie Bin, Pumkin and Baby Minder think that I seem to remember you posting last year ( time goes fast at my age!) Sounded fun to me. I agree, great for little ones it is always the teenagers that use it as an excuse to cause more ag than normal.
Reply ID 29302
quote:A lot of folk would also argue that it's a pagan festival. So not specifically rooted in any speciific organised religion as far as I can see. A lot of kiddies out trick or treating were with their church-going parents, so presumably these aren't the Christians arguing that it's "a deeply disturbing bow towards satanism and devil worship".
Originally posted by Deveraux Not connected with a specific religion? I know a lot of Christian folk who would argue that it's actually a deeply disturbing bow towards Satanism and devil worship. [}:)] I'm also not so sure about the voluntary participation bit - I can't see that Mr P volunteered to have golden syrup poured over his car!
Reply ID 29303
quote:This year we decorated the passage at the side of our house as the "Tunnel of Horror" and rigged up the baby monitor to a CD of spooky sounds (Tesco, 97p). When Mr.Batty came home he got my son to scream into the monitor "Dad, dad, put the axe down". (Mr.Batty gets a little carried away). He was also shoving his arm through the cat flap and grabbing little legs. All highly amusing.
Originally posted by Tigger Nora - didn't Mr Batty do the Wheelie Bin, Pumkin and Baby Minder think that I seem to remember you posting last year ( time goes fast at my age!) Sounded fun to me.
Reply ID 29304
quote:Inflation. It's probably a quid, these days.
Originally posted by Herbert Lemons
Do people do Penny for the Guy these days?
Reply ID 29307
quote:The Batty house will become an essential place to visit for future Halloweens. We have no trick or treaters down our way...... a shame.
Originally posted by nora battyquote:This year we decorated the passage at the side of our house as the "Tunnel of Horror" and rigged up the baby monitor to a CD of spooky sounds (Tesco, 97p). When Mr.Batty came home he got my son to scream into the monitor "Dad, dad, put the axe down". (Mr.Batty gets a little carried away). He was also shoving his arm through the cat flap and grabbing little legs. All highly amusing.
Originally posted by Tigger Nora - didn't Mr Batty do the Wheelie Bin, Pumkin and Baby Minder think that I seem to remember you posting last year ( time goes fast at my age!) Sounded fun to me.
Reply ID 29309
Hmmmm... Perhaps we had better not make a habit of it! If anyone would like to borrow a big box of Halloween things - light up skulls, life size skeletons, bats, spiders, cobwebs, scary music, tomb stones etc. Please feel free to email me.
Reply ID 29310
quote:Not in our little bit! We don't do the trick or treating thing with our two because, firstly I feel uncomfortable knocking on people's doors and secondly because if our youngest saw all the sweets we would have WW3 break out over them! What amazed me though was that we didn't even have any 'trick or treaters' at our door [:0] (not that I'm complaining).
Originally posted by Deveraux
Sorry all BUT Am I the only one here who is thinking ... "What is this all about????" Halloween is one thing - but all of this trick or treat crap is as UK traditional as Mom's apple pies and Home Coming Queens! Hertord isn't a USA backwater - or, has Tony Blair finally managed it??
Reply ID 29311
quote:Good on the parents - I didn't say that I agreed with the Christian Fundamentalist Viewpoint. For what it's worth, I don't - Modern day Halloween celebrations have far more to do with commercialism than religion in any way shape or form.
Originally posted by nora batty A lot of kiddies out trick or treating were with their church-going parents, so presumably these aren't the Christians arguing that it's "a deeply disturbing bow towards satanism and devil worship".
Reply ID 29317
We had a great time last night visiting and being visited. When I was growing up in Scotland we visited many houses and in order to gain a Hallowe'en 'Treat' we were expected to perform a 'Trick' ie a song or poem with or without relevance to Hallowe'en. The more parents who go out with their children the less likely older children will get up to mischief. I think its great fun to see lots of little vampires and witches running around on hallowe'en. Roll on next year.[:)]
Reply ID 29322
I went round the neighbours with my daughters aged 6 and 8. They performed a magic trick for everyone after getting their sweets. This slightly appeased my conscience so we weren't simply going round the neighbours begging for sweets.
Reply ID 29324
quote:Absolutely charming. Even a grumpy, old, sarcastic, spoilsport git like me couldn't object to such a cute spectacle. I hope your little entertainers were well received by their doorstep audience.[:)]
Originally posted by Jackieg
I went round the neighbours with my daughters aged 6 and 8. They performed a magic trick for everyone after getting their sweets. This slightly appeased my conscience so we weren't simply going round the neighbours begging for sweets.
Reply ID 29327
[/quote] A friend of mine was travelling along West Street a couple of days ago and had some eggs thrown at her car by some teenagers that were hiding behind some parked cars.These boys have nothing to do with the innocent trick'n'treaters but they give them a bad name[:(] [/quote] My better half experienced the same thing a few nights ago, at the mini round-a-bout at the buttom of Bullocks Lane - the kids hang out in the woods just there. I went down an hour or so later - but they had moved on. It's a known (to the police) problem along that stretch of road. NI-Lad
Reply ID 29330
quote:If anyone experiences this they should notify the police on 0845 3300 222. Whilst they may not be able to do anything immediately, at least it will make them aware that there's a problem here.
Originally posted by NI-Lad
My better half experienced the same thing a few nights ago, at the mini round-a-bout at the buttom of Bullocks Lane - the kids hang out in the woods just there. I went down an hour or so later - but they had moved on. It's a known (to the police) problem along that stretch of road.
Reply ID 29367
quote:Cool, you guy's are a magnet for all the kiddie trick and treaters. Something they will probably tell their kids one day 'you know, this family near us when I was a kid....'
Originally posted by nora battyquote:This year we decorated the passage at the side of our house as the "Tunnel of Horror" and rigged up the baby monitor to a CD of spooky sounds (Tesco, 97p). When Mr.Batty came home he got my son to scream into the monitor "Dad, dad, put the axe down". (Mr.Batty gets a little carried away). He was also shoving his arm through the cat flap and grabbing little legs. All highly amusing.
Originally posted by Tigger Nora - didn't Mr Batty do the Wheelie Bin, Pumkin and Baby Minder think that I seem to remember you posting last year ( time goes fast at my age!) Sounded fun to me.
Reply ID 29374
Steve, I know this is sort of off-on topic but now Halloween has gone we get the Carol Singers - first two words of the verse (out of tune) and want some money. Worth paying to get rid of the noise.....
Reply ID 29480
quote:Did you give the Mercury authority to quote you on page 2?? I note they didn't include your last comment!!! [}:)]
Originally posted by Mr P
I would like to thank the teenage darlings who saw fit to pour golden syrup over the bonnet of my car because I was arm deep in washing up suds at the time of their ringing the doorbell. No other car in the road was targeted and I am exceedingly p'd off with their brain-dead version of "humour". Going to buy a tin of syrup with a clear aim to use it for non-edible purposes shows deliberate intent to cause problems for others and I expect the karma police to be knocking on their doors in due course. Little bastards. [:(!][:(!][:(!]
Reply ID 29504
quote:Count yourself lucky - in many other counties that'd have been paint stripper!
Originally posted by Mr P
I would like to thank the teenage darlings who saw fit to pour golden syrup over the bonnet of my car because I was arm deep in washing up suds at the time of their ringing the doorbell. No other car in the road was targeted and I am exceedingly p'd off with their brain-dead version of "humour". Going to buy a tin of syrup with a clear aim to use it for non-edible purposes shows deliberate intent to cause problems for others and I expect the karma police to be knocking on their doors in due course.
Reply ID 29508
quote:No I did not! I want to be paid in cold hard cash for my exclusive hiss and tell expose of Hertford Youth of today! I shall have to
Originally posted by SMT
Did you give the Mercury authority to quote you on page 2?? I note they didn't include your last comment!!! [}:)]
Reply ID 29527
quote:You missed a trick there Mr.P. They paid me a small fortune!!!
Originally posted by Mr P No I did not! I want to be paid in cold hard cash for my exclusive hiss and tell expose of Hertford Youth of today! I shall have togetsorry, borrow me a paper adn send the clipping to my mum (she'll be so proud! HA!)
Reply ID 29685
364 days we tell our children not to take sweets off strangers...enough said
Reply ID 29688
quote:Blame Spielberg, ET and the Americans. Just another money-spinning gimmick and excuse for some to think that it's acceptable to be obnoxious arses. [:0]
Originally posted by Tazz
364 days we tell our children not to take sweets off strangers...enough said
Reply ID 29700
quote:Didn't they also print your full name while I managed to remain anonymous? I'll be round for my cut of the wonga in due course...![:D][:D]
Originally posted by nora batty You missed a trick there Mr.P. They paid me a small fortune!!!