Why the total lack of seasonal window displays in Cranbrook's shops?

My 4 year old son was very excited yesterday to be heading into Cranbrook with his dad and tasked with the job of snapping away at all the shop windows that we imagined (very wrongly, as it turned out) would be full of everything Halloween related by now.

Disappointingly - in the world of a 4 year old at least - only ONE shop in the whole of the town had anything vaguely spooky, and as you can see from the picture Tom did take of the Hospice in the Weald, it isn't exactly brimming over with creative flair! But credit where credit's due, at least they've tried.

I would have put money on more shops making the effort, given the scale in the UK on which we now celebrate Halloween. Did you know as a nation we spend more on this event than we do on Valentine's Day?

So come on shop keepers of Cranbrook, dig out your pumpkins (the ones at Taywell Farm Shop are truly gigantic, priced £4.00 - £15.00) and light your lanterns in your windows. The children of the Weald are on half term this week in the run up to Halloween, and you're missing a trick if you fail to lure in these kids and their mums!! Treat them - and us - to a visual feast this week.

We'll be watching to see who rises to the challenge in the next few days! Post your pictures on Cranbrook People if you see another shop window that beats the Hospice in the Weald one - or if you're a local shopkeeper then perhaps you're planning a seasonal apple-themed display to support the big Apple Fayre next Saturday?