getwokingham - Reading Evening Post

My northern heritage means that as well as trick-or-treating, there is also cob-coaling at this time of year, which is where children knock on front doors asking for money or coal for Guy Fawkes Night.

It’s basically begging, and I’m not sure why kids ask for money for coal because, frankly, how many bonfires are there that have coal? Usually it’s a few stolen fences, some aerosol cans and an unfortunate hedgehog or two.

Anyway, this year I was debating having some sweets to give out to trick-or-treaters. However, a quick look revealed tubs of sweets cost a tenner.

Bearing in mind that in my native Manchester the ‘trick’ bit of ‘trick-or-treat’ was often a key scratched down the side of your car if you didn’t give money or sweets, it was quite a good bribe.

Fortunately, the children in Wokingham seem generally a bit better-mannered and, anyway, I don’t have a car so it’s OK.

I’m going to leave the door answering to my housemates and probably retreat under my duvet with The Turn of The Screw.

It’s the scariest book ever written and a Penguin edition costs about a pound. Cheap Hallowe’en? Easy.