Little ones at Beaulieu were able to enjoy a spooky Halloween afternoon at Beaulieu, hosted by Beaulieu Estate Management and the professional storyteller Shane Ibbs. Following the successful storytelling session that took place over the summer, Shane returned to tell the children a collection of frightening tales to get them ready for Halloween later that same evening.

Once everyone was gathered at Beaulieu’s Community Centre, Shane began to tell his compelling stories, making imaginations run wild. Some of these tales shared important lessons, such as the story about a bad neighbour who was cursed by a witch for not helping others. Another one of the highlights was a story about a misunderstood scarecrow who after not fitting in with his own kind, left to fly forever with a murder of crows.

The children in attendance were at the edge of their seats one minute, and pressed back against their chairs the next, as they listened to Shane bring an array of ghoulish creatures to life. Between the scary stories, there were also some uplifting and touching tales, such as the lovely tale of Bob the ghost dog who longed to be reunited with his owner.

MowMow Rocks was another exciting game that caught the imagination of the children that afternoon. Introducing a unique take on hide and seek, the app-based game involves rocks being painted by children, followed by these being hidden across the development. MowMow encourages children to explore the outdoors while also inspiring their creativity.

Martin Payne, Beaulieu Estate Management’s Community Engagement Officer, who brought everyone together to celebrate Halloween says: “Halloween has always been a very popular event among the children here at Beaulieu and this year was no different. Shane and his spooky tales had a very captive audience throughout the whole afternoon. As the children left the storytelling session to get ready for some trick or treating, I’m sure that more than one of them would be glancing at the sky that evening to catch a glimpse of the scarecrow who forever flies with the crows.”