THESE are some of our favourite Halloween pictures taken through the years.

From witches to clowns, werewolves to skeletons - these demonic costumes show the effort locals are prepared to put in when it comes to enjoying the spookiest time of the year.


Read more: Haunted buildings of Poole >>>


Halloween’s origins go back 2,000 years ago to the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain.

Bournemouth Echo: Pic by Sally Adams 30/10/10   bHalloween3
A Halloween spectacular takes place in Bournemouth Lower Gardens with families encouraged to dress up as part of the fun! ... CLOWNING AROUND ... 9 yr old Adam Martin from Bournemouth.

At the time, the United Kingdom and Northern France celebrated new year on November 1.

The day marked the end of the Summer and the harvesting period. They knew it was the beginning of the dark winter - a time in which the risk of death was far greater.

Bournemouth Echo: Pic by Sally Adams 28/10/10   edHallo3
The Priest's House Museum in Wimborne hosts a ghostly goings on event for Halloween ... L-R: Poppy Burchell,5, Joshua Dyke,6, and Sam Burchell,8, enjoy the halloween quiz trail.

The Celts thought that on the eve of the new year the boundary between the worlds of the living and the dead became blurred.

They celebrated Samhain on the night of October 31, as the ghosts of the dead returned to earth