NEW classes for pre-schoolers coming to Rayleigh and Southend from January – now taking bookings!

• FREE taster sessions running on 31st October at the new Southend library, The Forum
• Classes currently running in Shoebury, Thorpe Bay and Leigh-on-Sea
• Classes launching in Rayleigh and Southend in January

Essex Mums Shop
The exciting news this month is the opening of the Essex Mums Shop! It's a fantastic new place to buy lovely goodies from small businesses in Essex and beyond, and features all sorts of things you won't find on the High Street. I am still in the process of uploading items to it so there will be a lot of great stuff for sale. Watch out on the Essex Mums Facebook page for a fantastic competition later in a few weeks!

If you are interested in selling some of your own products through the shop, please get in touch - louise@essexmums.org


School Selection
For those of you who have children starting school next year, you'll now be thinking of filling in applications and choosing a school. It can be a daunting task - what is your local school like, will they like it, does it fit in with the other things we have to do and places we need to be? If you're looking for some advice, whether it's to do with getting feedback about local schools or asking if it's worth deploying tactics when filling out application forms, come and ask on the forum in our Education section. It can be a daunting time for your kids but also for you to be starting something completely new and it can definitely help to speak to people who have been there too, or are going through the same thing. You might also find it useful to quiz our lovely teachers with any concerns you have in the Ask the Teacher section.
 

Christmas (sssshhhh....)
I know a lot of you don't want to hear it but Christmas isn't too far away. I'll keep it brief, but if you want to see what's on this Christmas, I am starting to compile everything in the Festive Fun section. If you organise events, make sure you send them over to me or add them to the Things to Do section, and if you're interested in some Christmas advertising, get in touch as spaces last year sold out quite early.


Halloween Events
There are some spine-tingling sounding events across the county this month for Halloween. More will be added as the month progresses but here are some from different areas to get you started:

Barking and Dagenham
Valence House
Ghouls, Ghosts and Spooky Stories: Hear some spooky stories
Passionate about Pumpkins: Make a mini jack-o-lantern, try pumpkin-flavoured milkshakes and cupcakes.
 
Broadway Theatre
Halloween Spooktacular: A fang-tastic, fun-filled show for all the family, from children to grandparents.
 

Basildon
Hobbycraft
Make Your Own Pebble Spider: Create a spooky spider.
Make Your Own Spooky Bat Mask: Make and decorate bat masks.
Decorate Your Own Spooky Sun Catcher: Make and decorate suncatchers to place on your window and bring in Halloween spirits.
 
Langdon Visitor Centre
Creepy Crafts: Halloween themed crafts
Haunting Halloween: Spooky fun in the woods
Pongy Potions and Smelly Spells: Use your senses to explore the woods in search natural ingredients for special Halloween spells.
 
Monkey Madness
Halloween Spooktacular: Halloween Party
 
Nevendon Manor
Nevendon Manor Scary Halloween Trail: 16th century spooky trail not for the faint hearted
 
Stay and Play
Halloween Parties:
 
Wat Tyler Country Park
Halloween Arts & Crafts: Create climbing zombies, bat or ghost spinners and wax resist spooky paintings.
Halloween Decorations: Make a bouncing bat, Halloween hanger and pop up card.
Paint a Pumpkin: Save all the mess of carving this year and paint your own pumpkin.
 

Braintree
Braintree Museum
Halloween Craft Sessions
 
Cressing Temple
Spooky Fun: A full day of activities, entertainment and the odd surprise lurking in the shadows
 
Greenstead Farm
Children’s Spooky Activity Mornings: Halloween cookie decorating and mobiles.
 
Hedingham Castle
Halloween Weirdness and Wondercraft: Creepy workshops, stories, stalls and more
Haunted Hedingham: Walk through the ancient, haunted woods of Hedingham Castle at night.
 

Brentwood
Barnard’s Minature Railway
Halloween Trains: Travel through the spooky decorated woodland to the Belvedere Station which will be specially decorated for Halloween
 
Beautiful Things
Spooky Pots: Decorate Frankenstein tealight holders
 
Chicken and Frog Bookshop
Meg and Mog's Halloween Party: decorate spooky biscuits, shares stories and do a Halloween craft
Spooky Cooking: Putrid, creepy cakes and much more
Spooky Lego Challenge: Re-create Dr Frankenstein's lab or Dracula's castle -from Lego of course!
 
Thorndon Country Park
Halloween Trail: Halloween hokum and spooky riddles to solve
Spooky Bat Hunt: Pick up a trail guide from the Pavilion Cafe and lead yourselves around the woods
Thorndon Scare: Halloween Charity Walk
 
Weald Country Park
After Earth: Zombie Storytelling Walk
Halloween for Little Horrors: Pick up your spellbook and create your own magical adventure with this selfguided trail.
Pumpkin Carving: Have all the fun and leave us the mess
 

Castle Point
Creepshow Carnival: The Creepshow Carnival has rolled in to town and they intend to take over
 
Farmer Fred’s Playbarn
Halloween Parties: Halloween Themed Entertainment from Jumping Jo, Spooky Party Food, Party Bags, Fancy Dress Prizes & Play
Spooky Moosical Mondays: School Holiday music & fun club with a spooky theme
 
Hadleigh Country Park
Horrendous History: Life in the Iron Age could be worse than horrible!
Vampire Bat Hunt: Wanted: hunters for our missing vampire bats.
 
The Makers
Half-term Halloween Workshops: Monster Bags
 

Chelmsford
Essex Police Museum
Halloween Goody Bag
Witch Trail
 
Just Imagine Story Centre
Spellbinding Extravaganza: Featuring Winnie the Witch and Fright Forest
 
Hanningfield Reservoir
Hibernating Horrors: Come and discover the wonderful Autumn wildlife and have a go at various wildlife and Hallowe’en related crafts, games and activities
Nocturnal Nasties: An evening of spooky goings on at Hanningfield
 
Hylands House
Fright Night: Marvel at fire dancers, giant animatronic skeletons, special, interactive effects through the gardens, a visit from outer space, magical fairy garden, listen to spooky stories and more.
Halloween Heads: Have fun making a Halloween head!

Marsh Farm
Wizards and Witches: Lots of activities including: Pumpkin Carving, Freaky Falconry, Storytelling, The Spellmakers Challenge, the NEW Ghost Train, all the Magic and Mayhem Show with the Partyman Entertainers as well as all the fun farm peak day activities
 
RHS Hyde Hall
Children’s Pumpkin Carving: Have fun carving pumpkins and making witch-shaped candle
 

Colchester
Bloodcurdling Colchester: Join shady characters for tales of old crimes, ancient superstitions, and ghastly deaths
Abberton Reservoir
Bat Walk and Marshmallows
The Witching Hour
 
The Beth Chatto Gardens
The Great Pumpkin Hunt: Find the hidden pumpkins and gain your tasty reward
 
Bourne Mill
Ghostly Goings On: Come down to the Mill and be prepared for some ghostly goings on
 
Colchester Zoo
Shriek Week: Get stuck into a variety of creepy crafts and enjoy a number of spooky themed displays and activities
Shriek Week Fright Nights: The Zoo comes alive with ghosts and ghouls and a host of extra spine chilling events and late night animal feeds.
 
Fingringhoe Wick Country Park
Magic Potions: Colour changes, bubbling potions and explosions as we collect fantastical ingredients and make a brew!
Spooky Explorers: Denbuilding and campfire with gross games, cooking up some gruesome dishes and spooky crafts
 
High Woods Country Park
Halloween Self-Guided Trail: Follow the map around the park and try to solve our Halloween puzzle
Halloween Super Sleuthing: Could you be a supernatural super sleuth? Now is your chance to find out in the atmospheric setting of the Park at night!
 
Jungle Adventure
Magic Day
Not So Scary Halloween Party: Calling all Witches, Vampires and Ghostly Ghouls...
 
Marks Hall
Halloween Hoo Ha: A day of activities for little witches and wizards
Halloween Trail: The beasties have been busy at Marks Hall and are on the loose in the Arboretum
 
Natural History Museum
Creepy Crawly Spider Pen Pots: Create your own pen pot to keep on a desk at home or in school, with a creepy crawly theme
 
Space Kingdom
Halloween Parties
 

Epping Forest
Chilming
Halloween Chilming in the Woods: Snuggle down in your sleeping bags with your goodies and watch The Wizard of Oz
 
Epping Forest
Bats about Bats: Discover why bats are traditionally (but falsely) associated with the sinister
Pumpkin Carving: Come and join us at The View for a fun afternoon of pumpkin carving
Epping-Ongar Railway
Steam and Scream: Decorated coaches, Halloween treats and fancy dress competition
 
Hobbycraft
Halloween Cupcake Class
 
Lee Valley Park Farms
Parkinson's Spooky Sprint: Join our Halloween challenge, run in the dark and give yourself a fright!
Petunia's Pick - Creepy Critters: Tropical Inc's creepy critters will make sure your Halloween is full of goose-pimpling fun!
Spook-tacular Goings on at the Farms: Join Petunia for a wizardry wonder at the farms this Halloween, with pumplin carving, story telling and magical crafts.
Spooky Spectacular Halloween Boat: Halloween themed boat trip offering a frighteningly fun filled time on water and land, full of activities and games
 
Royal Gunpowder Mills
Spooky Secret Island: Dr Gore takes to the Mad Lab for a gruesome series of experiments.
 

Harlow
Harlow Leisurezone
Halloweeny Tots Activity Session
LZ Halloween Art Attack
Pumpkin Carving
Thriller – Halloween Fright Disco
 

Havering
Bedfords Park Nature Reserve
Caterpillar Club Halloween Special: Halloween themed activity morning for pre-schoolers
Halloween in the Park: Spend a morning taking part in spooky Halloween themed activities and crafts
Howling Halloween: An evening of Halloween fun
Wildlife Discovery Club - Halloween Special: A Halloween themed session with lots of games and activities
 
Havering Libraries
Halloween Craft at Hornchurch Library: Make a Spooky Eyeball Tree!
 
Laser Mayhem
Zombie Themed Day October Half Term: Missions based around zombie Classics like Call of Duty Black ops, Zombie missions and The Walking dead
 
Watsons Wonderful Cupcakes
Halloween Cupcake Workshops: 2 hours of Halloween Cupcake fun
 

Redbridge
Valentine’s Mansion
Halloween Ghost Tours: Is Valentines Mansion haunted? Find out for yourself with our special Torchlight Tours - if you dare!
Haunted House Halloween Trail: Come to the haunted Mansion for Halloween and follow our spooky trail in the dark
Pumpkin Carving: Carve a scary face on your pumpkin and take it home for Halloween
Spider Bats and Scary Masks: Make pom-pom spiders, bats and Halloween masks
Spooky Skeletons: Make spooky skeletons and monster puppets
 

Rochford
Belchamps Scout Centre
Spooky Day: Get dressed up in your scariest costume and test your nerve on loads of spine-chilling activities
 
The Clay Cottage
Boo Crew: Paint a creepy plate ideal for serving up some gruesome treats on for Halloween!
Halloween Make and Take Workshop: Join us for some spooky fun making crafts that will make your guests hair stand on end
Halloween Party: creepy craft, foul food and gruesome games are all on the menu for your little terrors
 
Clements Hall Leisure Centre
Halloween Party Fun Day
Scary Theme Cheerleading

Monkey Bizzness
Halloween Spooktacular: Fun evening of spooktacular family fun
 
Mushroom Arts Theatre
Spooky Arts & Storytelling Day
 
The Red Brick Barn
The Haunted Magic Show:  A spooky magic show for the whole family this Halloween season with ghosts and ghouls a plenty.
 

Southend
Adventure Island
Fright Fantastic: Spooky activity around the park, living waxworks and the ultimate Ghost train ride, Over The Hill
 
Belfairs Park & Woods
Horrid Halloween: Witches have been seen in Belfairs Woodlands! Come to our special spooky evening session with Halloween themed crafts.
 
Chalkwell Hall
Halloween Art Workshops
 
Funky Monkeys
Halloween Spooky Special: Mummy messy play, autumn arts and crafts, magical music and movement, pumpkin carving and cake decorating.
 
Sealife Adventure
Halloween at Sealife Adventure: Face-painting, dressing up, treasure hunts and more.
 
Southchurch Hall
Halloween! Southchurch Hall gets spooky: Spooky crafts including ghostly lollipops, perfect for parties. Scary stories and pumpkin carving demonstrations.
 
Southend Pier
Ghost Train: Take a Halloween ride on the Pier Ghost Train for an evening of spooky stories, ghoulish fancy dress & a fantastic fireworks display!
 

Tendring
Clacton Factory Outlet
Pumpkin Carving Workshop: Come along this Halloween and see our three Costumed Carvers, who will carve out their design on a pumpkin
 
Jaywick Martello Tower
Halloween at the Witches Tower: Come along to a Halloween gathering of ghouls and ghastly monsters and join in with the Halloween games
 
Manningtree
Trick or Treat Scary Walk: A Halloween walk around Manningtree for all the family - under 12's are invited to come in fancy dress.
 
Princes Theatre
Spooky Extravaganza – Halloween Workshop: A spooky workshop – jam packed with drama, physical theatre, and make up
 
The Red Lion
Things That Go Bump in the Night: An evening of spooky happenings featuring the Theatre of Lemmings and Storyteller Mike Dodsworth
 

Thurrock
Kids R Us
Halloween Party: Fancy dress and DJ plus prizes
 
Rainham Marshes
Halloween Trail: Free spooky fun for the family over half term!
Rainham's Spooktacular Halloween: Are you brave enough to take on the challenge of our Halloween trail challenge? Not for the Faint hearted.
Small Monsters
Under 7's Halloween Party: Children's Entertainer plus a Hot & Cold Buffet and unlimited juice
 

Uttlesford
Audley End
Halloween Ghost Tours: Come to Audley End House and Garden this Halloween and experience some chilling tales and spooky goings on.
 
Audley End Minature Railway
Halloween
 
Hatfield Forest
Batty Halloween: Hallowe'en crafts, games, and then an after-dark candle-lit trail through the woods.
 
Mountfitchet Castle
Hill of Horrors Halloween Tours: Tours held during the most haunted time of the year when the evil spirits and tormented souls will be rising from their graves within the grounds.



 

Baby namings, adoptions & step family celebrations with a difference.

 

You are no longer restricted to JUST a church service, you can celebrate family and all it means to you, any place, anytime, anyway.

 

I work with you and your family to create the ceremony of your choice.

We can incorporate any religion, spirituality or beliefs, readings, poetry and music you may hold dear.

 

Your ceremony is delivered with warmth and style and you will receive a full copy of the ceremony in a keepsake box together with a certificate.

I also offer Weddings, Civil Partnership celebrations, vow renewals and commitment ceremonies amongst other things

 

Please contact me for further details:

Michelle Taylor 

www.mtaylorcelebrant.co.uk 

07974 098 519 

 

Events
Lots going on this month! You can find full listings on the Things to Do section but hopefully this will give you a few ideas about what's on near you and across the county.
 

Occupational Therapy Essex will be hosting a free Dyspraxia Awareness session during Dyspraxia Awareness Week. This is to support the Dyspraxia Foundation and to raise awareness of the condition. It will be at My Gym, Billericay at 1pm on the 17th October. Suitable for parents, teachers, early years staff etc. More info at www.occupationaltherapyessex.co.uk

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