We do occasionally have 'trick or treaters' come to the door - I'm afraid I give them bags of apples, right off my own trees.

There is no keeping of Halloween in my family background, except that it marks the end of gathering - all crops and found foods such as hedgerow fruits should have been brought in and processed or stored for the Winter by the end of October, as after that they would be spoilt anyway, and would neither taste good nor store well.

Usually, with the growing season starting so early these days there are many weeks between the finish of Harvest and the end of October, but once or twice in the last few decades it has been cold in the Spring, and then the first of November really has been significant.

Even though Halloween has been depicted on our TV screens as an American festivity, and the supermarkets push the 'event' like mad selling costumes and party foods, it has not really caught on here except for those looking for an excuse for a party.

It might be that we have a fair number of 'Bank Holidays' throughout the year - when the normal financial world is suspended for a day, usually on a Monday, but also Good Friday, so giving people a long weekend. They don't wander around the calender much - except Easter, of course, running around after the full moon. We don't have Thanksgiving so they try to push turkey dinners at Easter. OK if it is early, I supose. We usually have lamb.

It also could be that the end of October is likely to be cold, wet and miserable and folks would rather spend Halloween in front of the TV at home rather than traipsing around the streets to be met with blank stares (or bags of apples) when they go to their neighbours' doors.