Grandmother Maintains Four-Decade Halloween Decorating Tradition

A grandmother with a passion for Halloween, who has adorned her residence and garden with pumpkins, spiders, and ghosts for four decades, has affirmed her commitment to continuing the tradition. Since 1984, trick-or-treaters have consistently sought out Lynda Starkey’s displays, which now constitute an annual attraction at her bungalow in Acomb, situated near York. The 74-year-old dedicates months to the planning and preparation of her decorations, transforming her garden into themed “dens” where children can engage in play. This Halloween, she has conceived a Barbie bat cave, presented alongside her dragons’ dungeon and stinking spider shack, describing the overall display as “bit like Disney”. Although Ms Starkey has maintained her spooky activities for four decades, she has, in fact, relocated multiple times, having decorated properties in Buxton and Blackpool before her move to York. “I start preparing this for two solid months, and each den takes one to two days to create,” she said. “The witch’s den takes seven hours to set up, the dragons’ dungeon, that can take two days to prepare and get created.” “New this year is a Barbie bat cave. There is lots and lots of pink, lots of Barbies hanging down. The kids get to walk through it, and the grown-ups too.” Last year, she managed a queue of a “few hundred” visitors awaiting entry, and she opens her attraction for 12 hours daily. “It’s something for children to look forward to – and I never make mine scary, it’s fun,” she said. Ms Starkey, who also distributes treats from two tables, stated: “I open from nine in the morning until nine at night, because the tiny tots, I don’t want them to get trampled on. I just want them to be in awe at what there is – it’s a bit like Disney really!” The setup of the display costs approximately £1,000, but the sweets are provided through donations from the community and a local food bank. “Sometimes I open the door in the morning and there are sweets waiting for me, which is wonderful because people want to have some fun in their lives and this creates fun,” she said. “I am trying to create a feeling for children that it’s not all about shops making a profit, it is just about sharing.” She indicated her resolve not to cease the activity, despite suffering from arthritis in her hands. Ms Starkey is a mother of three children and a grandmother of four. Prior to her retirement, she operated a cleaning business. “I will be doing this as long as I’m alive. If this brings a little bit of happiness, that’s what it’s all about,” she said. Listen to highlights from North Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North or tell us a story you think we should be covering here. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.