Friendly Ghost Trail

The Friendly Ghost Trail is running across Gloucester city centre on Thursday 29, Friday 30 and Saturday 31 October, so it's a good one to have on the radar for the Halloween weekend. It's a free trail, and it's aimed at families with children, which makes it a handy option if you're looking for something to do with the kids that doesn't cost anything.

The setup is simple: ten friendly little ghosts are hidden around the city centre, and each one is holding a letter. You find them one by one, collect the letters, and then unscramble them to solve a mystery word. The ghosts themselves are individually hand-painted by local artist Jemma Skidmore, so they're a bit more than just cardboard cutouts. To get started, you'll need a trail map, which you can pick up for free from Gloucester Library, just off Northgate Street.

Once you've cracked the mystery word, there's a bit more to it than just the hunt. You can enter the competition to win a £50 Gloucester Gift Card, and entries stay open until midnight on Tuesday 3 November, so you've got a few days after the trail ends to get yours in. Just a heads-up on that part: the competition is for entrants aged 16 or over, so you'll be the one handling the entry for the family.

Between the three days it runs, you've got a fair window to fit it in, and since it's free, it's an easy addition to a day out in town. Grab your map from the library and you're good to go.