But instead of throwing them away, you could instead give them to a good cause.

Princess Ellie’s Trust was set up last August in loving memory of a two year old girl named Ellie who very sadly passed away from Meningitis on the 8th August 2010.

Since Ellie passed away, the trust has held a number of very successful fundraising events and have raised over £30,000 in the last year which has been donated to the Meningitis Research Fund. The founders even managed to win the Pride of Northumberland Fundraisers of the Year Award recently.

The next event planned is a Halloween party night for adults at the Golden Eagle Pub in Blyth, Northumberland on the 29th of October 2011.
Arrangements have been made for live bands to play at the event and there is a fantastic comedian attending, there will be raffles and have a few spooky games going on. And there will also be a specially decorated corner designated for any attendees to get their spooky photos taken.

How can you help?

The organisers would like to decorate the whole venue to provide the best atmosphere as possible to get the guests in the Halloween mood and make the event that bit more themed.

They desperately need donations of any kind of Halloween goods, decorations, balloons, tableware, fake creatures etc to complete the feel of the event.

Therefore, if any of you would like to kindly donate any goods for our event they will be much appreciated. Any donation however big or small would be of great help.

If you feel you can help in anyway please do not hesitate to contact the trust via their site:
http://www.princesselliestrust.com/contact-us.html

Alternatively, we’re happy to re-direct any messages or enquiries:
http://halloweenerrific.co.uk/contact

For further information on events we have held in memory of Princess Ellie please refer to the website http://www.princesselliestrust.com

Best attraction for Halloween 2011? Already?!

And how can we be so sure? Because we were invited to a special sneak preview of The London Dungeon’s newest fright filled ride – Vengeance, the 5D, laser gun shooting scream inducer.

The Event

The night started as we were invited in for horrible nibbles, all served in the dark Victorian street setting that is the main hall of The London Dungeon. We were entertained by ghouls, scared by shrieking maidens and frightened by freakish beings.
The place was filled with green, red and purple light and was pretty much exactly how I want my house to look for Halloween 2011… I may need to invest in more lights… And a bunch of film set props… Oh, and some actors…
Too much?
Anyway, after the light entertainment we were invited to embark on what is now the full London Dungeon experience. 3 thrilling rides, a whole heap of horrible exhibits and performances plus a few other nasty surprises along the way.

Some doomed souls board the boat...

After first being shown some tools of torture by an overenthusiastic dungeon dweller, we were sent to court where judgement was passed on the whole party. We were soon sent to traitors gate using a little boat to navigate the dark, dank tunnels of the maze-like complex.
Surviving that ordeal, we moved quickly out of the vessel avoiding rats and spiders, grateful for our lives. Little did we know that it was a case of ‘out of the frying pan’ for sure.
Someone in the party was looking particularly unkempt, so it was suggested that we take him to a local barbers… You’ve guessed it, Sweeney Todds. And after a close shave (literally) our group was ushered through to the main event, the Vengeance 5D ride.

Vengeance 5D

Vengeance is quite unlike anything that I have experienced before. It incorporates a moving seated area, 3D screens, in-seat effects and of course, cool laser guns.
Set at 50 Berkley Square, one of the most haunted houses in British history, your mission as a participant is to help clear up a ghostly mess after a seance goes awry.
The 3D visuals were amazing. The high definition graphics seemed to reach across the heads of the group as the lasers were fired and sounds and sensations rippled from the seats.
Periodically, the platform under us would whirl around at speed, dizzying the audience and placing them in front of another screen to do some close up blasting. All of these features combined creates a very absorbing experience which is as enjoyable as it is terrifying.

Vengeance is quite a bold move by The London Dungeon as it’s intention to combine so many elements into one ride is quite an ambitious one. I was also somewhat sceptical (though still very excited) about the laser guns and feared that the ride might be more aimed at kids.
It turns out that a great balance has been achieved, and the entire group (none under the age of 18) had a great time with plenty of screams, shrieks and shouts.

Back to (a horrible) reality

To recover from the ordeal and give our trigger fingers some rest, we were treated to more horrors at the hand of our hideous guides, with a trip to Whitechapel in search of Jack the Ripper. And after being sentenced once more by a judge (it just wasn’t our night) we were thrilled by the final ride, the Hangman’s Drop, which is a miniature version of one of those vertical drop rides that you can find at many theme parks. It was also great fun.

Upon our return to the sinister street from whence we had started on this dreadful journey, we were treated to more curious snacks, treats and beverages (including plenty of nice Halloween ideas) and of course a much needed sit down.

Halloween 2011

It may well be a little early to say, but I find it hard to believe that any event is going to put together an experience that can better this for Halloween 2011.
The combination of real life actors, an amazingly authentic venue and a great combination of rides that stimulate every sense is something to be marvelled at. Every type of horror thrill can be felt here in one place and during one continuous experience.

Central London excursions are famously expensive, but for once I think there is a very good reason to spend the money and if my recent visit is anything to go by, you will not be disappointed.

For more information about the London Dungeon and Vengeance, visit the official site:
The London Dungeon

And why not check out this video showing a bit of the Vengeance ride and the reactions of a few celebs who visited the London Dungeon to check it out:

I can’t think of a better recipient of our new recommendation.

The London Dungeon is definitely on our list of Top Tips for Halloween 2011.

Thanks to a heads up from one of our readers, we got in touch with The London Dungeon to find out what awaits us on this exciting new attraction.

On the ride, guests will be tranported back to a Victorian seance at London’s (alledgedly) most haunted location, 50 Berkley Square.

When things take a turn for the worst, the riders can whip our their Victorian style laser pistols to shoot the numerous 3D ghosts and spirits that appear around them.

Vengeance is using cutting edge technology to help the ride really emerse the participants. With amazing visual effects, scare effects built into the seats and of course the ’5th dimension’ – the ability to interact with the nasty gouls and ultimately send them back to hell with laser bullets!

Vengeance looks to be an excellent addition to what’s already an amazing list of things to experience at London’s premier horror attraction.

Best of all, we’ve been invited to a special preview of the ride in a few weeks, so you can expect a full review and insight into what you can expect on Halloweenerrific very soon!

In the meantime, why not get even more excited about Vengeance by watching this promotional video:

15 years since it first trampled the bloody boards The Circus of Horror has since toured relentlessly around the World achieving cult status and dragging Circus’s screaming and shouting into the 21st century and beyond.

Following on from the huge success of The Asylum, & The Day of the Dead show’s, The Circus of Horrors has had a major revamp & is back with a new show created especially to celebrate its 15th bloody year.

The new phantasmagoria ‘THE 4 CHAPTERS FROM HELL’ will take you on a journey though all four of the Circus of Horrors incarnations from the Asylum in 1888 to 2020AH, a futuristic vision of mad max / steam punk style civilization inhabited by Vampires, Zombies and the Undead.

Touring the entire country with Halloween specials in Blackpool and Newcastle this is one circus that will have you screaming in terror.

More Info and Booking Here

Four short plays by April DeAngelis, William Ewart,  Neil LaBute and Mark Ravenhill

Returning to Southwark Playhouse for its second year following a sold-out 2009 run, Terror 2010: Theatre Of Horror And Grand Guignol features three world premieres and a classic adaptation. The four short plays are interspersed with cabaret from award-winning songstress Sarah-Louise Young, and eerie oddities for the Halloween season.

‘Massively imaginative. Darkly disturbing and funny’

TIME OUT

12 October 2010 – 31 October 2010

19:30 Tue-Sat; 15:00 Sat Matinees

Special Halloween Season Finale 19:30 Sun 31 October

More details at Here