A slightly spooky Starter for Ten
We can't help ourselves - there is something just frightfully delightful about Halloween. It is one of the UK's biggest holidays with Brits expected to spend £1bn on celebrating the spooky season. Part of the attraction is that we like to scare ourselves - it is how we make mental plans for what to do if our worst fears come true. Contrary to every horror movie out there, I know that if I heard someone creaking my floorboards upstairs, I would be headed out the front door without looking over my shoulder, never mind popping upstairs to investigate...
So, to help you celebrate this wonderful pagan holiday that somehow now manifests as small children dressed up in Super Mario Bros and Barbie (top of the pops this year) we dedicate this slightly spooky edition to the holiday formerly known as Samhain.
Have a great week ahead.
Alison Dwyer
Head of Marketing and Communications
The science behind the scream
So Halloween has arrived , brining with it all its spooks and scares. Interestingly, many of us actually enjoy the thrill of being terrified.
The allure of fear isn't something new. Culturally, it seems our appetite for these adrenaline-pumping moments is growing. But what makes us yearn for these frightful experiences?
Psychology Today takes a look at why creepiness and horror can be seductive.
Halloween experiential
For this Halloween, The Kraken Rum unveiled a unique bar experience: guests strapped on heart rate monitors and delved into a spine-chilling interactive horror scenario. Their heartbeats, which naturally escalated due to the terrifying setting, determined the cost of their drinks. Essentially, the faster their hearts raced, the more they had to shell out at the bar.
This eerie initiative, named Screamfest VII: Shock Exchange, was a collaboration with The Recreational Fear Lab, specifically designed to elevate heart rates. After enduring the scary ordeal, guests could relax at The Beast's bar, realising the extent to which their fear had affected their wallets. A reward system was in place: calm heart rates got discounts, while the more terrified patrons paid a bit more. Plus, for those not at the main location, a VR rendition of this horror challenge was available at bars in Glasgow, Birmingham, and Leeds. Once done, they'd find out if their heart rates would save or cost them on their cocktail tab.
We suggest you stay at home and maybe make your own drinks...
Hauntingly delicious...
Halloween isn't solely a children's affair anymore; adults relish in the spooky spirit as well, often sneaking leftover sweeties from the celebrations!
Those planning an adults-only bash should consider a spread with some hauntingly delicious recipes, which could range from spine-chilling cocktails to spooky mains. Mixing traditional autumnal dishes, such as pumpkin lasagna, with more playful creations like mummified brie can make for a memorable evening. And to ensure the party’s atmosphere is just right, drinks like Frankenpunch or the indulgent drunken peanut butter cup cocktails shouldn't be missed.
Spooky cyber statistics and trends you need to know
In 2023, the World Economic Forum for the first-time ranked cybercrime and cybersecurity as one of the top ten global risks, over both a 2-year and 10-year period.
Legislation in the United States and across the ocean in Europe is moving in the direction of placing responsibility for cyber risks in a company on the senior management and the board. The days when management claimed that a cyber incident was the responsibility of solely the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), the head of IT or the external provider will soon be over.
Halloween hacks
You know who your are! Too busy to get your costume hired / made / borrowed and in a panic on Monday night when you realise that come Halloween, you will be the only one not dressed up for that party at work / your friend's place or to trick and treating with the kids.
Never fear here is a list of resources to let you hack Halloween