An Aberdeen woman who has decorated her house every Halloween for the past two decades has said soaring energy bills will not stop her.
Michelle Porter, who lives in the Sandilands Drive area of Woodside, once again pulled out all of the stops with her Halloween decorations to make sure children and adults in the community celebrated in style.
Usually her garden is lit up at night for the whole of October, but due to the cost of living she has been forced to illuminate the decorations for only two hours a night.
Tonight, children and adults alike were in awe at the coffins, skeletons, a life-size Chucky doll and scarecrows that decked the garden, with one passer by saying “it looks absolutely amazing”.
The “graveyard” also had some scary ghouls, pumpkins and signs with eerie messages on them.
Mrs Porter, who was proudly standing by her creation tonight said that “they turn up in cars and everything” to see it.
She told The P&J why she started doing it, as well as why she will continue to do so: “My kids went out trick-or-treating when they were little and they got a lot of doors that people wouldn’t answer.
“So I just said, ‘as long as I’m fit to do that, I’ll always put the lights on for the wee ones’.”
About 100 children are expected to come to her flat tonight to get sweets and look at the decorations, some of which have been handmade by Mrs Porter herself.
‘It’s amazing every year’
To cater for all the kids she made up 100 bags of goodies and treats.
Three of those youngsters were out with their dad Philip McDonald, who himself was dressed up as Chucky.
He said: “It’s amazing every year. It’s really good and the kids love it. It’s good to have it for the kids and I like to get involved and enjoy it as well.”
Donna Allan, who was out guising with her daughter and young granddaughter, is originally from nearby Tillydrone.
She said: “I was just driving round and I was like, ‘there’s nobody celebrating’. But this is amazing and it’s a good tradition for the young ones.”
Local resident Matthew Milne, whose son was out for his first Halloween, described the display as “brilliant” and “absolute class”, adding: “It gets better every year.”
Conversation