so when you look at me, you better look hard and look twice

So, Young Ben and I decided to go out "guising" last night (none of this American Trick-or Treat nonsense, in Scotland it's still "guising")

We decided to keep it simple and go out dressed as The Proclaimers (mainly because I could not fit in to my Robin costume and he definitely wanted to be Batman). The night went really well and although obviously being the brains and looks of the partnership, Ben did have trouble keeping the glasses on at times and his contribution to "500 Miles" was poor at best.

So he resorted to performing 4'33" by John Cage and he was excellent at this leaving me to be the man who was havering on his own.

It occurred to me on our travels, how times have changed on the Halloween front. Nowadays, you turn up on someone's doorstep wearing a costume and you are instantly given "goodies" without even entering the house. In days gone by (old guy reminiscence coming up), you were invited in and had to earn your rewards in front of an audience by singing a song or telling a joke or swallowing swords or the likes. It also appears that less effort goes into the costumes. Kids turn up in football strips or off-the-peg costumes bought from Asda.

With this in mind, when we returned home we partook in some traditional Scottish Halloween games. We began by "dooking" for apples, which is quite hard when you have no teeth, but I managed anyway. Ben did not so much "dook" as splash for apples but it appears he will be a very good swimmer. We also had a go at dropping the fork from a great height to try and spear the apples but when the fork landed in my foot we abandoned that game.

We then proceeded to the "treacle scones" game where you suspend these on a piece of string and then try to bite them (a game invented by soap powder manufacturers). I have to say this was messy but that outfit was getting too small for Ben anyway

All in all a great evening and I think Ben also quite enjoyed it

I leave you this week with the opening verses from Halloween by Scotland's finest, Rabbie himself

Upon that night, when fairies light
On Cassilis Downans dance,
Or owre the lays, in splendid blaze,
On sprightly coursers prance;
Or for Colean the route is ta'en,
Beneath the moon's pale beams;
There, up the cove, to stray and rove,
Among the rocks and streams
To sport that night.

Among the bonny winding banks,
Where Doon rins, wimplin' clear,
Where Bruce ance ruled the martial ranks,
And shook his Carrick spear,
Some merry, friendly, country-folks,
Together did convene,
To burn their nits, and pou their stocks,
And haud their Halloween
Fu' blithe that night

Roll on next year, I think I might go for Mr Potato Head then and Ben can be Buzz Lightyear


Editors note: In the interests of child safety and so that I do not receive any visits from Child Services or Claire's mum, please note that no grandchildren were harmed in the fabrication of the above article