Here’s a blog post originally posted after Hallowe’en in November 2016 when we had suggested DIY light parties all over Downend !

“No one rang the doorbell last night. It was October 31st and the trick or treaters were busy walking through the neighbourhood. Before you ask,  yes we did have the lights on and the curtains open.

What happened on a street in Bristol could have happened anywhere. Five families gathered together and we had a light party in our front drive. Pumpkins, fairy lights and  tea lights lit the way, our children bounded around eating their dinner outside and stopping every now and then to welcome visiting local children and parents and offer them sweets.

Ours wore nothing but their usual clothes and no one needed to add scary makeup either. After food we had football and a skate board to entertain us. But hide and seek won the day,  after glow sticks and sparklers and toasting marshmallows on a mini fire as parents and children chatted together with a steady stream of visitors.

So there we were, showing our community we can have fun with them, showing our children that we can stand up for what we believe and there was more power by doing stuff together.

No one made it to the doorbell, we were already outside meeting trick or treaters where they were in the street. They came to us and we offered them our light.  Faith is real when it’s in action outside the building meeting those who really don’t know God.  Thank you Anita, Charlie and Emma for inspiring light parties where we live. Our frontline was pretty busy last night with neighbours, children and  mums from the school run,  Our teenager said she saw so many people she knew on our driveway. She wasn’t embarrassed, those who visited could see the fun we were having, and perhaps some might have thought about why.

Now halloween is over for another year. But I wonder how many children and parents will walk past our house and often ponder what they experienced that night when they didn’t even need to ring the doorbell.”

Helen Buick