You're in store for shop shocks over Hallowe'en

IT'S normally the haunt of strippers – but for one night only entertainment of a different kind will be on offer in the city's so-called "Pubic Triangle".

West Port will be closed to traffic as ghosts, witches, acrobats and musicians take over the street for a Hallowe'en festival.

Shopkeepers, wearing fancy dress, will be opening their doors after dark on Friday, October 31.

Bars and clubs will be inviting visitors in to enjoy live music and burlesque shows, while the street will be decorated with lanterns, pumpkins and moss to create a traditional Scottish Hallowe'en theme. Susan McManus, manager of Lily West Florist, came up with the idea. She has been keen to promote the street ever since it was closed by the partial collapse of the old Post Office building last year, and has persuaded around a dozen businesses to take part.

The city council has agreed to close the street to traffic between 7.30pm and 10pm for the event.

She said: "I thought this would be good for the area, and a Hallowe'en festival is fitting with the Old Town. Scotland was one of the first places in the world to celebrate Hallowe'en.

"We've got nearly all the shops involved, and we want to show people what's available in the area. We've been planning it for 10 months now and it has really brought everyone together as a community. It's going to be a good old-fashioned Hallowe'en party. All the shopkeepers will be putting on fancy dress and decorating their shops.

"We've got Edinburgh College of Art to help decorate the street. The Farmers' Market has given us stalls, and there'll be people selling sweets, jokes and clothing.

"We've got live music, fire eaters, musicians, acrobats and crystal mediums. There's going to be plenty of competitions, dooking for apples and a treasure hunt.

"Everybody's been really enthusiastic about the idea and we hope there'll be something for all the family. As well as the shops taking part, some of the area's strip bars will also be opening their doors to a wider clientele.

"Burke and Hare will have ghost stories being told in the bar, while there will be a burlesque show in the Western Bar."

Gill McKill, director of Ocean Jewellery on West Port, is another of the organisers. She told the Evening News: "Everybody on the street has been really enthusiastic about it.

"It's a great event bringing together businesses and the local community."