Hallowe'en (yes, that's right, we use the correct spelling in this house) is rightly being reclaimed from the Americans. After decades of horror films claiming the ritual for their own, we're finally taking it back. You've probably already heard that All Hallows Eve has its roots in the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain (pronounced sow-in), where people dressed as monsters to survive 'the thinning of the veil'; the new year point at which the boundary between the living and the dead became blurred, allowing spirits and supernatural beings to cross over into the mortal world. Carving vegetables originally began in Scotland and Ireland, and mostly involved readily available swedes, turnips, and beets.
But if you're not planning to dress up, or cut frightening faces into your veg, there's still something special about decorating your home with the whole gourds and pumpkins that are on offer at this time of year. Henri Matisse, Graham Sutherland, and John Singer Sargent all appreciated a display of these winter fruits. Modern Samhain festivals focus on celebrating the harvest, and after this summer's drought, this is certainly a year to appreciate the fruit of the earth.
So where should you get them from? Well, of course no one will judge you if you get them from your nearest supermarket. In fact, the range on offer has increased dramatically in recent years. But it's worth checking out what's on offer at a farm near you.
Now, a word of warning. Lots of 'pick your own pumpkin' patches have sprung up as the trend has grown over the last decade. It's important to check that the squashes and pumpkins are actually grown on the site that you're visiting. Some slipper characters are dumping a load of supermarket pumpkins in a field and charging three times the price. But if they are, then there's usually an excellent farm shop that's worth visiting while you're there. If you're used to supermarket prices, then farm prices might come as quite a shock. But remember that the big retailers use fruit and veg like this as a 'loss leader' to get you in the door. At least, by buying directly from the farm, you can be certain that the grower is paid a little more fairly.
If all this pumpkin picking is a little too cringe for you, then we'll understand. You're forgiven for giving it a wide berth. But if you can take yourself a little less seriously for a second, then it might be worth revisiting the idea. Putting on some wellies and heading out to a muddy farmer's field adorned with scarecrows and other displays, followed by a slightly overpriced cup of mulled cider, can be strangely restorative. And there's at least the chance of a pub lunch on the return home.
In the South we recommend:
Hatter's Farm, Essex
Crockford Bridge Farm, Surrey
Secretts Farm, Surrey
Tulleys Farm, Sussex
Cammas Hall Fruit Farm, Hertfordshire
Trevaskis Farm, Cornwall
In the Midlands we recommend
Canalside Farm, Staffordshire
Mr Pumpkin, Derbyshire
Doddington Hall, Lincolnshire
In the North we recommend
Cannon Hall Farm, Yorkshire
Kenyon Hall, Cheshire
Brookhey's Farm, Cheshire
Brocksbushes Farm, Northumberland
In Scotland we recommend
Craigies Farm Shop, The Lothians
Westerton Farmers, Aberdeenshire
Arnprior Farm, The Trossachs
Charleton Fruit Farm, Dumfries and Galloway
In Wales we recommend:
Pembrokeshire Pumpkins, Pembrokeshire
Forage Farm, South Glamorgan
Bellis Brothers, Wrexham
In Northern Ireland we recommend:
Streamvale Open Farm, Belfast
Part of Paperweight's 'Greater Things' series; #1001 ways to live your life greater. Get it delivered to your inbox every week with Sunday Paperweight when you subscribe for free.
