Spooky time as Drayton Manor counts down to Halloween

The scene is set in the dark of night with tales being told of a ghost train – and even though the tale ended with a lime-covered Percy pretending to be a spooky apparition to play a trick of Thomas, just the eerie music alone was enough to frighten little me.

While a visit to Drayton Manor Park won’t conjure up feelings of terror on quite such a scale, it’s clear from the moment you walk through the turnstiles that there is something a little, well, spooky in the air.

Perhaps it was the giant characters on stilts clad in black that you just couldn’t miss, or the fact the Fat Controller had joined them and his hat was covered in spiders' webs.

Just yards away, the entrance to Thomas Land was festooned in orange with pumpkins and scarecrows, leaving you in no doubt that Halloween is almost here.

It’s a similar story walking around the park’s own little piece of the Island of Sodor.

The traditional bunting on the streets and buildings is exclusively orange and black, rather than the usual red, blue and white. Giant furry spiders lie in wait among the crates and items of lost luggage on the platform at Knapford Station.

There are several other nice touches throughout the day that bring that spirit of Halloween to the fore for the park’s More Treat Than Trick event.

At lunchtime families line up near the entrance to Thomas Land to get a chance to play a very special version of Trick or Treat – on the Fat Controller himself.

Of course Sir Topham Hatt is ready with a mini-cauldron of goodies for his long list of visitors – and the youngsters also get the chance to have their picture taken with him.

In addition, four times a day the Fat Controller and colleagues appear on the balcony at Knapford Station to perform a spooky musical show that includes an appearance from Jasper the Ghost. It’s a fun way to spend 15 minutes without being too much to frighten the youngsters.

The park’s Halloween activities started on Saturday and will gradually be ramped up until we reach half term.

From this Saturday for every day throughout half term there will be a two-hour pumpkin carving session.

From Monday, there will be two further events running until the Friday.

There will be three Creatures of the Night Animal Shows a day and three Face Your Fears events – family-themed Halloween fears to test, in the park’s own words, “the bravest of children”.

It seems those in charge at the park are very aware of their audience – they have been very careful not to make their Halloween celebrations too much of a fright-fest for the young children, but have placed an emphasis of the fun side of the festivities.

While the theme is clear, it is done with a light touch. None of the rides have been changed or altered – it is still very much the same Thomas Land experience as you would get on any other day of the year.

If you want more scares and screams, they are there to be found.

And why change the formula? It clearly works with thousands of families visiting every year for a glimpse of Thomas and his friends.

It’s easy to see why. Youngsters get to see their favourite engines from the Rev W. Awdry’s magical tales – no need for CGI on Channel 5 in the morning.

Rides include Flynn’s Fire Rescue, Toby’s Tram Express, Captain’s Sea Adventure and James and the Red Balloon, which opened earlier this year.

Thomas, Percy and Rosie carry passengers from Knapford Station along the line to further attractions on the edge of the park’s zoo, including Terence’s Driving School and a model railway exhibition that leaves the youngsters captivated.

There is also a themed soft play area which our two boys badgered us all day about going to before we finally relented and let them loose late in the afternoon.

For the little ones, whatever the time of year Thomas Land is a magical place that creates memories they won’t forget in a hurry.

But if you want that little dash of Halloween in your visit, you’ve only got a week or so to visit. The Halloween theme runs until next Thursday (October 26), although some activities will carry on until Sunday.

There is of course far more to see around the rest of the park – from thrill-seeking rides such as Maelstrom and the 54-metre drop tower Apocalypse to the zoo, where youngsters can learn all about creepy crawlies and creatures of all shapes and sizes including spiders, bearded dragons, lizards, iguanas and much more.

The park is offering a 4 for £80 ticket when booked in advance.

For those wanting an overnight stay, the four star Drayton Manor Hotel on the site offers Stay and Play packages that include a stay in the hotel, breakfast and tickets to the park itself.

To book tickets, or for more information about the park, visit draytonmanor.co.uk or call 0844 472 1950.