Double, double, toil and trouble, spooky fun and cauldron bubble...

Around thirty youngsters, accompanied by their families, got into the spirit of the event, dressing up in their finest Halloween outfits for a ghoulish afternoon in the park.

The event, held on Halloween (October 31), was organised by the Alexandra Park Greenhouse Group.

Linda Pearson, chairman of the group says the fun began with a meal at the Eat@the Park Cafe. “This was followed by face-painting and story-telling in the greenhouse, and a ride aboard the park’s miniature trains,” she said.

“During Monday’s spooky session, ‘ witch’ and ‘wizard’ Audra Fraser and Ryan Ormonde told a spine tingling tale to the children at the greenhouse.”

Visitors to the event included the Deputy Mayor of Hastings, Cllr Nigel Sinden, and Nick Hennessy, a borough council park ranger. Both joined in the fun by wearing masks distributed by the organisers.

Linda added: “It was really fun. We were showcasing the greenhouse to let the community see the potential of the building.”

The Alexandra Park Greenhouse Group aims to restore the 1930s structure so that it can be used for community and horticultural events. The group is bidding to win between £8-12,000 in the Tesco Bags of Help initiative to restore the greenhouse’s cast iron frame, but it needs the public’s help to do it. Shoppers are asked to vote at their local Tesco store for the group’s project called Framing a Growing Future.

Voting in the Tesco Bags of Help initiative, funded by the 5p plastic bag charge, began on last Monday (October 31) and ends on Sunday, November 13.

Local stores taking part in the Bags of Help voting are: Tesco Express at Battle Hill, Battle; Collington Avenue, Bexhill; Cooden Sea Road, Bexhill; Fernside Avenue, St Leonards; Havelock Road, Hastings, and Old London Road, Hastings. Tesco Extra, Church Wood Drive, St Leonards, and Tesco Superstore at Ravenside Retail Park, Bexhill.

For further details and to see future events visit: http://www.greenhousealexpark.com/