IT’S ALL systems ghost for Halloween. 
This weekend will see all manner of spooky visions trailing around cities, towns and villages in costumes that will scare as well as delight. Trick or treat has become part of the calendar here in the UK. Many believe it originated in the USA, but it traces back to Scotland and Ireland where the tradition of guising - going house to house at Halloween and putting on a small performance to be rewarded with food or treats - goes back at least as far as the 16th century, as does the tradition of people wearing costumes.
Halloween has its roots in the Celtic festival of Samhain - a Gaelic word pronounced SAH-win - a pagan religious celebration to welcome the harvest, when people lit bonfires and wore costumes to ward off ghosts. Here is an image from a pumpkins and witches’ trail at Bolton Abbey in 2012. Send pictures of your outfits or pumpkins  to helen.mead@nqyne.co.uk or emma.clayton@nqye.co.uk. Don't forget to include your contact details.