It’s scary but it’s fun – that’s the Exbury Ghost Train

The scariest fun ever is on offer this half-term when families and friends step aboard the Exbury Gardens Hallowe’en Ghost Train for the spookiest ride of their lives.

They’ll hear echoes of ghostly laughter as the strange-looking ticket in-spectre bids them take their seats behind a grinning skull and glimmering Jack O’Lantern.

The Ghost Train hosts, Napoleon Bone-aparte and Batty the Vampire, will tell terrible tales of the lost village of Exbury - and equally terrible jokes.

There will be skeletons and scarecrows, werewolves and cyclops on the route, and some ghost pirates lurking by Exbury’s North Lake. The real scream comes when the Ghost Train grinds to a halt in the pitch black tunnel, where passengers should listen out for the ghoulish greeting of a long lost Rothschild, ancestor to the owners of Exbury today.

“For all the scares, families tell us that the Ghost Train is great fun. There are just a couple of occasions where everyone might want to cover their eyes, but the scariest bits are undoubtedly the terrible jokes, puns and visual gags. Passengers might want to cover their ears!” said Nigel Philpott, Marketing Manager of the world-famous Gardens in the New Forest.

“We’re going to focus on real Halloween traditions,” said Nigel, who turns into the ghastly host, Napoleon Bone-aparte, for the occasion. “The Guardian newspaper has listed the Exbury Ghost Train as the country’s leading Halloween treat, and we’re looking to build on that reputation.”

The Ghost Train will run at regular intervals through the day on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday, October 26th to November 1st. All children riding the train will be given a Halloween candy treat, and everyone who comes in fancy dress will receive a free goody bag.

Visitors may also follow a trail specially devised to show off the spectacular display of autumn colour in the Gardens, and children will want to look out for Exbury’s own “spooky trees” including the Chinese Coffin Tree, ‘Devil’s Walking Stick’, ‘Domesday Yew’, ‘Headache Tree’ and ‘Ghost Tree’.

Mr Eddy’s Restaurant will be getting into the occasion too and promise a “spook-tecular menu” throughout half-term week.

The stunning annual display of Diamond Lilies (Nerine sarniensis) may also be seen in the Gardens’ Five Arrows Gallery for no extra charge, alongside an exhibition of beautifully painted watercolours of wild fungi.

The Gardens are open daily from 10.00am-5pm (or dusk when earlier) and the first Ghost Train departs at 10.45am with others following at regular intervals.

Admission for the Ghost Train and Gardens is £11.50 for adults (£11 seniors) and £5 for children 3-15. Under-threes go free.

Bookings are recommended as the Ghost Train is very popular. They can be made on 023 8024 5750 or on-line at www.exbury.co.uk

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NOTE TO EDITORS: Let us know if you would like images of the Ghost Train. If you would like Ghost Train tickets as competition prizes, please let Annie or Nigel (contact below) know.
 
For further information please contact:
Annie Bullen tel/fax 01264 334389 (mobile 0771 231 4274) or email anniebullen@waitrose.com
or  Nigel Philpott, Exbury Gardens, on 023 8089 1203 or email nigel.philpott@exbury.co.uk