The Creepy Cafe on the Edge of the Hill

The Creepy Cafe on the Edge of the Hill takes over the West Hill Cafe on Saturday 31 October, a pop-up creature cafe run in collaboration with THE WAVES bookshop in Hastings. It's built around the books of Mikey Please, and if you're not familiar with them, THE WAVES has two of the series on the shelf: The Cafe at the Edge of the Woods and The Cave Downwind of the Cafe. The whole thing is billed as a pre-Trick-or-Treat warm-up, open to all ages, and fancy dress is very welcome.

There's a fair bit to get through in one session. Every child gets free hot chocolate, and there's a story read-aloud to set the scene. From there, it's a mix of activities: chomping for apples, mask making with a real Giant named Urs, and a 'Terrible (tasty) Treat Buffet' to pick at. There's also a 'What's in the Box?' sensory game, and a warming drinks cauldron for kids and adults to keep things going.

It runs across two slots on the day: 11am to 1pm and 2pm to 4pm, so you can pick whichever fits your Halloween plans. Tickets are £10 per adult, £3 for the first child, and £6 for each additional child. The venue is the West Hill Cafe, Hastings Castle, TN34 3AR.