Those looking to see an extra special Halloween house tonight, Thursday, are in for a treat if they venture down one road.
Sue Strong, 51, has been transforming her home, which is off Newbrook Road in Atherton, with spooky decorations, including a ghost train, every Halloween for around 20 years.
She makes most of it by hand, whether a witch’s lair, pirate ship, or a haunted mansion.
Sue said: “It takes a while to decide on the theme.
“And I make most of the decorations myself.
“I built a full-size pirate ship out of wood in the drive myself a few years ago.
“The year before that, I made a horse-drawn carriage with a coffin inside.
“I usually make the props throughout the summer.
“It takes a weekend or two to install all of it before Halloween.”
Sue is an area sales manager, so most of the preparation is done on weekends and she gets help from family.
She said: “I come up with the ideas, like the pirate ship.
“My dad is a retired engineer. He often explains how to build the props and put them together.
“I get a lot of help from my parents and husband.
“The weekend before Halloween, all four of us are installing banners and putting up bunting. I couldn’t do it without them.”
When asked why, Sue said: “I do it because I love Halloween.”
And it all started in America.
She said: “My mum’s best friend emigrated to California when she was 15 and we’ve been visiting her for almost 40 years.
“She would drive us around the streets and we would see all the Halloween decorations.
“That’s where I got my passion.
“Seeing all those amazing displays.
“The holiday’s getting bigger and bigger in the UK, but it’s still mainly an American thing.”
But residents still love coming to see Sue’s display.
She said: “We get around 200 trick-or-treaters every year.
“Everybody loves it.
“We do get exhausted with the number of people, but it’s great. They all enjoy it.”
And people who miss Sue’s Halloween display don’t have to worry as it will be redecorated for upcoming events.
She said: “I transform for Remembrance Sunday and make it into a winter wonderland for Christmas.”
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