Ghostly goings-on at Great Notley Country Park this Halloween

THERE will be ghostly-goings-on at Great Notley Country Park this Halloween, as Cursed, the county's premiere scare event, promises to give visitors the fright of their lives.

Taking place on Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October, Cursed introduces the Haverstock family, who in the 1900s lived in a big house in a sleepy village, where they employed the town folk to work their land.

The loyal workers were not only rich in food but also in happiness and as a way of showing gratitude for the abundant crops, the Haverstock family booked an annual celebration and invited Cirque Du Park to the village.

The villagers' happiness was unabated until the year of 1909, when heavy rain ruined the harvest and people were destitute. The Haverstock family went hungry, the town was encased in a deep cloud of starvation and shame and Cirque Du Park was cancelled. But they still came... without an invite.

This year, as visitors wander around various mazes, they'll encounter characters from the Haverstock story. Themes include an asylum, manor house, graveyard and a circus. Visitors are warned that this event is aimed to scare people and it is not for under nine's or the faint-hearted.

Organisers are promising never-seen-before Halloween horror and have worked with a scare consortium comprising Alton Towers, the London Dungeons and The London Bridge Experience to ensure that this is a Shocktober not to forget.

Head Ranger at Great Notley, Steve Bunn, said: "There have always been Halloween events in Essex but not on this ambitious scale. Cursed is a brand new and exciting event for the people of Essex and looks set to be around for a long time to come."

Great Notley Country Park has also produced its own website, video and Facebook account, giving visitors the opportunity to talk to members of the Haverstock family online at www.thecursed.co.uk.

Tickets are on sale now but are selling fast. The event takes place from 6pm till 10.15pm each day. Times vary. Ticket costs: Friday �7 per person and Saturday �9 per person. Group Bookings: Friday, five people �30, and Saturday, five people �40.

For more information or to pre-book call Great Notley Country Park on 01376 347134. ?Note booking is essential for this event.