A couple who love Halloween so much they begin planning their decorations months in advance have found a way to create spook-tacular memories for their local community, by turning their ordinary home into a full-blown haunted house. Lorna Smith, 30, and her girlfriend, Carly Jennings, 34, are self-described Halloween 'fanatics', and will each year transform their home ahead of the spooky season.
Having both loved dressing up and going trick-or-treating as children, for the past three years, Lorna and Carly have opened their own home to members of the public on Halloween night, spending two months beforehand decking it with creepy decorations. The pair have previously opted for themes such as creepy carnival and Greckans Gulch, and have this year opted for a 'mega ghost ship', creating a masterpiece that looks straight out of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.
Lorna, who lives in Bootle, Liverpool, said: "I’ve always been obsessed with Halloween, as it’s the best time of the year. I’m a bit eccentric, so I come up with an idea and roll with it, while making it over the top of course.
"We decided to open our doors to the public, as we put so much effort in and it’s only right to let people take a look around. Kids love it on the way to school and their reaction from outside is amazing, as they’re always giggling away and the parents are left in awe.
"It’s a community event, so we’re able to get to know everyone’s faces, and it’s a nice feeling to have everyone enjoy something we’ve done."
This year, locals will be greeted by an eerie skeletal mermaid and an array of glowing skulls atop their cobwebbed fence.
The couple, who spent an approximate £2,000 on their project, says people will queue for hours to get a glimpse of their gothic creations and expect this year's queue to be their longest yet.
Luckily, the couple has only ever had positive reactions to their spine-tingling displays. They say their neighbours are thankfully also fans, and will even help them cut up creepy masks in preparation.
Usually, Lorna and Carly don't charge admission to their house of hours, however, this year they will be asking for donations to raise funds in memory of some family friends who sadly died earlier this year.
Lorna, who already has plans for future themes, continued: "We only do this for the love and everything is so important to us, as we wanted to make it memorable.
"It’s part of the reason why we keep the inside a total secret, as this adds to the awe and excitement of it all.
"It’s sad when we have to take it down, so we keep up it up for a few days afterward and I think we’ll need to invest in a storage unit soon, as there’s so much. But it’s something free and for the kids to enjoy, so we hope our love of Halloween gives something for people to smile about."
Lorna and Carly will be throwing open their doors for one night only on October 31st and will be admitting six plucky sailors onto their ghost ship at a time.
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