Spooky house decorated for Halloween in Godinton Park, Ashford in aid of Great Ormond Street
Published: 00:01, 30 October 2015
A family is hoping to provide spooky frights and thrills to children by converting the front of their home into a Halloween fun house.
Linda Oussalah, 49, from Godinton Park, says work is under way to make sure all the spooky attractions outside the family home are ready in time for tomorrow night.
She is working with her son Samir, 21, and daughter Amina, 18, to set up a polytunnel and a maze, and will be collecting money for Great Ormond Street Children’s Hospital.
Mrs Oussalah said: “We started to decorate the front of the house about six years ago, and every year it seems to get bigger and bigger.
“The children call the polytunnel the boo! tunnel as it has spooky things inside.
“This year we are working on a carnival theme. We will have a fog machine, animatronics and spooky inflatables.
“Things are going well so far. We have checked the lights and the fog machine and had a run through to make sure it will all be ready.
“It’s just such good fun for the trick or treaters who all love it and take pictures. We are there in our costumes as well.
“They said that we should raise something for charity, so after a vote on our Facebook page we are supporting Great Ormond Street.”
Mrs Oussalah, who works as a section leader at Asda, started with a solitary ghost outside her home, but says the idea really caught on.
She added: “I’ve always loved Halloween, when it was my kids we went trick or treating and it was always good fun, but I think a lot of people don’t really make much effort for it, people prefer to put effort into Christmas.
“I just think Christmas has become all about money rather than the fun. I started this with a small ghost, and the kids loved it. Word spread about the house and people have called it the Halloween house.
“It is great to see the kids having fun. Samir helps put everything up while Amina makes sure we have makeup and checks the lights are working. We also get help from Holly Todd as well.
“My husband Saadane doesn’t really like it. He is not into it at all so he tends to just hibernate upstairs.”
The Halloween house is located in a cul-de-sac off Loudon Way, near The Chimneys pub.
We are happy to clarify this event is not associated with Godinton House and Garden.
More by this author
Aidan Barlow