Trick or treating… you either love it or hate it.
New parents dread people knocking at the door and waking the baby. Halloween grouches sit in the dark with the curtains closed, whilst some households splash out on lavish decorations and throw a party that lasts until the early hours, after visiting everyone in the neighbourhood for trick or treat.
Teenagers intent on causing trouble, sneak eggs out of the kitchen fridge and adults dress up in fancy dress to attend events in town. It can be fun for everyone!
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However this year, there are a few more variables that could effect your Halloween fun. Daily covid cases are back up, taxis are few and far between, and spiking is becoming frighteningly common.
But after the restrictions most of us were under last year, surely it’s time to have bit of fun?
First and foremost, take a lateral flow test before you do anything. Outdoor activities like pumpkin picking are your safest options. But unless trick or treating is formally discouraged by the government, I say dress up and seek out every home with a carved pumpkin in the window and fill your boots! I recommend the Dingle or the Welsh streets for trick or treating if you’re in the south end. Aigburth and Smithdown Road are really hit and miss, with a lot of properties being occupied by students.
Head down the waterfront after dark for the River of Light Trail - 12 art installations along the waterfront, to “bring the streets alive”. Running from October 22 until November 7, Rhythm of the Light is intended to make us smile and dance again, in celebration of Liverpool’s iconic music scene.
If it’s raining, why not visit The History Whisperer at St Georges Hall? Festively spooky and suitable for children aged six and over, with tickets for just £1. The History Whisperer is an immersive experience that transports visitors to a time when one of the city’s most iconic buildings was a meeting point of opulence and destitution.
If you’re going out in town for a night out. Try to plan for someone to come pick you up. Or better still, arrange for one of your bartender, waiter or DJ friends to drive you home when they finish work. Black cabs are scarce and Ubers are through the roof, so save your local private hire companies number in your phone and explore their availability before you head outside. Halloween weekend is always extremely busy in the bars and restaurants in town.
Sometimes so difficult to get in anywhere or get home, it can take the fun out of going out. Why not stay local or throw a small fancy dress party for friends?
Whatever you do, the most important thing is that you stay together. I wholeheartedly believe everyone who thinks they may have been spiked on a night out. It's terrifying. I’ve been there and so have most women I know. It's extremely difficult to prove, because even if you go to A&E there isn’t a urine test or blood test they do to check for drugs in your blood. Their job is to manage your symptoms, e.g. fast heart rate, dehydration, shortness of breath, fluctuating consciousness.
It's not just a case of “keep an eye on your drink”. Recently there have been reports of people being injected in bars and clubs. We need to be vigilant, look out for, and after, each other.
It’s absolutely unacceptable to leave a friend who appears to be out of sorts at a taxi rank, drop them off at A&E, or leave them with the lad they seem to to be getting on with during the evening. Take your friend somewhere safe, call their next of kin and arrange to take them home yourself, or arrange for their family to come and collect them off you.
It's not just people who spike drinks we need to worry about. There are people hanging around in bars who wouldn’t dream of drugging someone, but wouldn't resist the opportunity to “help” a semiconscious girl home, if all her friends had left her.
Try and keep your wits about you. You’d never forgive yourself if you thoughtlessly left someone who couldn’t keep up, and continued on with your evening, only to wake up to some dreadful news about your friend.
It’s a huge weekend. But let’s all enjoy it, safely.
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