It's October already and it's nearly that Spooky time of year! So we thought we'd share our top five ideas for halloween aboard your boat!

Halloween is an annual event celebrated each year on October 31st. It originated with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain, when people would light bonfires and wear costumes to ward off ghosts. In the eighth century, Pope Gregory III designated November 1 as a time to honor all saints; soon, All Saints Day incorporated some of the traditions of Samhain. The evening before was known as All Hallows Eve, and later Halloween. Over time, Halloween evolved into a day of activities like trick-or-treating.

Decorate Your Narrowboat Spookily!

Make your boat look halloween ready by adding a few specimen jars,by using old jam jars and filling them with eyeballs or spiders. Cover your boat with cobwebs and spiders dangling down The silhouette of a black cat or two will raise the creep factor. A few stuffed rats on the floor will help set the scene. A bucket of dead white flowers will look perfect under your cratch cover. Scatter some tree branches on the deck. Hang a ghost from a doorway. Cut some holes in an old sheet and throw it over an old beach ball that you hang from the ceiling. If you have an old rocking chair, cover it with spider webs and put it in a place where it will rock and creak as much as possible! Hang a wreath covered in bats on the front door and splatter some fake blood on, but just make sure it can easily come off!

The well known store B&M have some fantastic halloween props and costumes.

Carve a Pumpkin with a ghoulish face!

Light up your boat with a creepy glow by using pumpkins with ghoulish designs cut out and a light inside to create an errie atmosphere. You'll be surprised at how effective the pumpkins will look! But take care if using candles in the pumpkin due to potential fire hazard, it's probably best to use led or batter operated tea lights.

Watch a Scary Movie!

Why not turn the lights out...  so that just your pumpkin lights are glowing and watch a scary movie on TV or video, there's a huge choice of thrillers and scary movies to choose from, many of which are family friendly such as Hotel Transylvania 2012, Hocus Pocus from 1993 or The Adams Family from 1991. But if you have small children do make sure that the film is suitable, you don't want terrified kiddies who are frightened to sleep!

Dress up in a ghostly outfit!

With your boat all decorated to scare the life out of your friends, why not dress up in a Halloween costume. There's lots to choose from; be it a Witch, a Wizard, a bat or a ghost or Dracula, you'll have lots of fun deciding! and you'll be ready for our last idea!....

Have a Halloween Party and invite your narrow boating friends!

Now that you've set the scene by decorating your boat, why not throw a party aboard your canal boat and invite all your friends! There's lots of halloween related games you could play such a apple bobbing or you could all go out trick or treating, but do take care along the towpath in the dark, you don't want to risk falling into the water... that would be a real scare! And do make sure that you're only visiting people who are able to cope with a scare or that you've arranged with first!

Whatever you do on your canal boat this Halloween, take care, stay safe and don't frighten people who aren't expecting it!