This was by far the most exciting event we have ever done, I started the planning in February 2023, although the idea and concept for this year’s event, started on the 1st November 2022.
One of the many benefits of being part of the DH is the final product is far removed from the early initial plan. When I first met with Alex and Joely from Capel Manor and we walked around the site looking for a spot, we only had the Witch theme and little else. I then went back to the team and Greg and Julie had one idea and the PE crew had another. Jo suggested buying a marquee and then the spook house was created. It took me months to commit to the concept and buy one, I confess I was scared by the idea but once it arrived I was confident it could work. On a late summer afternoon, Myself, Greg, Julie, Ozan and Baris went to Hilly fields with the marquee frame and set it up. Once it was up, I knew we were onto something.
Jo and I went to Walthamstow to visit the recycling project and we filled up my car with materials to build props. The Friday sessions became prop building and Capel allowed us to set up the marquee a week in advance. Greg and I spent two evenings in my garden building various props and the coffin, Greg and Julie also passed a skip with a massive haul of materials we used to build various partitions. That gave us a whole week to install the props. It took till the Saturday to resemble anything that was in my head and a week of stress because of the weather and little advancement was occurring. Fast forward a week and 1500 people later, I would say overall it was a success, it wasn’t the Dread House I planned and saw in my head but it was the one I got and I failed to communicate my idea well, a mistake I won’t make again. Like Bjork says “Full artistic control!” Thanks for reading.
Mark.
