I well remember taking part in "a penny for the guy" but we didn't dress up or try to frighten anyone.

I'm surprised to return to the UK and find that halloween dressing up is so popular. At a cafe in Brixham yesterday staff were dressed as witches, though a younger one looked very attractive looking like a cat!!

"Penny for the Guy" is Guy Fawkes ie 5 November. Hallowe'en is the last day of October. It was celebrated in my youth in Scotland where the custom of "guising" was well established. (Dressing up and visiting neighbour's houses.) No connection I think between "guising" (meaning acting in the Scots Tongue, and Guy Fawkes. Or is there ?

You are being pedantic No connection at all, just different cultures and what we remember growing up. We do know they are on different days. Some of my friends in Kent posted on FB they had about 80 kids arriving dressed up asking for sweets, so in some areas they are jumping on the bandwagon

The great thing about the traditions are that you can leave and come back again a quarter of a century later, and they still carry on - like Corrie! It's the people you leave behind when you move that grieves you, not so much the loss of place.

Yes, Wolverhampton is not far as the crow flies, but as someone unused to these roads - the speed, twists and turns and endless roundabouts - it's a long way. We like Northamptonshire, it has some stunningly pretty villages, the canal network gives it a special charm and it's a great central location for further travels. So many places to see, so little time!
And BTW, I'm taking your advice and we'll be driving to two Guy Fawkes bashes hosted locally this w/e, complete with beer and cider for the 'grown-ups', so I'll try to post a photo so you can share in the spirit of bonfire night. I have to say some things are much more liberal here - drinking outdoors at a public event with children present would never be permitted in Canada.

Lots of treat of treaters came by us.
My Dd got to go out all dressed up and treat or treat too, something she had never done in the US as we lived in a rural place.
It was lots of fun, a few houses went all out with the decorations and the adults had as much fun as the children.
My Dh was left home handing out the sweets, we went through 4 bags and had two bags of tangerines on standby in case we ran out of sweets.
Tomorrow is the village bonfire and fireworks hope it stops raining long enough to go.

Confusing as I only left the UK 2 years ago and I took my kids treat or treating for 8 years in the UK. There were loads of houses on our estate in the UK decorated. What surprised me more was here in the US Halloween is made out to be so big, but come Halloween night it felt just same as the UK.

I know my friends in the UK were trick or treating with their kids as usually.

What I did like about Halloween in the UK is kids dress up more traditionally for Halloween, as in always something scary. Not just any dress up, which I like as less likely to change the costumes into something sexy for a 7 year old girl.

Trick and treating? As a kid, we used to go "guising" and made lanterns out of turnips! It was a different time to say the least.

Funny, you miss all the scarey costumes, I miss all the kids in non scarey that we made up in the US, we used to go to a friends party every year. The costumes were amazing and there was a competition for all age groups. Dd and I went as a ladybird and an aphid last year. He we had trouble getting anything last minute that wasn't a witch this year as I usually plan in advance and was busy moving here this time.

Hi Mummy

I think its familiarity that we all crave, only scary costumes is what I am familiar with so thats what feels right to me.

As you spent a large number of years in the US with your kids I'm sure the different costumes is what you feel familiar with.

Familiarity is sometimes what makes us feel safe and at home. I think it plays a huge part in why expats don't always feel at home in their chosen county and also why if they return after a long time, its not always easy to settle.

I move home after only 2 years and 3 months in 4 weeks, so hoping its not changed that much

After only a couple of years you will fall back into it like you were never gone. I'm getting more settled by the day and thats after over 20 years.
The only reason we ended up getting Dd a witch costume was she was ribbed for not having a scary one for the school dress up day before halloween. So she conformed for the actual day and was very happy about that.