Beggars n That

This time of year was always quite an exciting time for us workings classes when we were young as we were given the green light to beg. First there was ‘Trick or Treat’ followed quickly by ‘Penny for the guy’ and then a short wait before it was acceptable to go Carol Singing.

‘Trick or Treat’ seemed to be the most like begging. In those days you weren’t expected to dress up you simply had to knock on a door and say ‘Trick or Treat’. Fortunately for us it was a fear based begging as adults would think that if they didn’t pay up something awful might happen. Their car, house or letter box were all under threat, and this was before Haribo got the monopoly on accepted Halloween treats, back then it was hard cash that did the talking.

You actually had to do something for ‘Penny for the guy’, create a ‘guy’. That became too much like hard work so we resorted to dressing the smallest person in our gang up as a guy and plopping him outside a supermarket whilst the remainder of us campaigned the shoppers for money. The more adventurous beggars would go into a pub, the later the better, and ask for money and they would make in that visit what we would in a week.

And then once December came it was time for Carol Singing. I feel embarrassed now looking back!

This Halloween we dressed Piggy up as a pumpkin and went down the pub. He made £2 without even trying! But it wasn’t our intention to go out ‘Trick or Treating’ it just happened to be Brooklyn’s 18th birthday party.

"Piggy Pumpkin"

"Carlo & Fern"

"Brooklyn"