to the Tall Trees area at the charming boutique festival,  levels of excitement reached fever pitch as eager children swarmed the array of dressing up delights, eying up the costumery on offer.A style report from our fashion experts confirmed that the long

Golden ProspectsJanuary 3Nottingham Castle’s new family gallery exhibition offers an interactive look at journeys and exploration through dressing up, and exciting quests.Famers MarketJanuary 4For a tasty treat, head to Birmingham’s Upper New Street

their wares. Local authors will also be giving talks throughout the day.Medieval Dressing UpOctober 23–31Sort the princes from the paupers at Beeston Castle and Woodland Park, Cheshire with a day of dressing up in medieval finery. Aspiring nobility can try

, Northeners used to celebrate by throwing horse chestnuts onto a fire and predicting the future based on how the nuts exploded. Dress up in magical and macabre finery and have a crack at some traditional Halloween pursuits during these Nut Crack Night

tasty treats at the café.Skeletons And ScarecrowsOctober 22–30Join in a host of traditional Hallowe’en pursuits at The Hop Farm, Kent, including bobbing for apples and broomstick games throughout the week. As well as this there will be dressing up

to show off your creative carving skills and maybe even pick up a prize. Children aged ten and under can win prizes for best fancy-dress as well as their pumpkin-slicing skills in the first-floor demonstration kitchen, after which the competition heats up

broad spectrum of interests including food, music, art and film. The programme is perfectly suited to children and families too: Budding explorers can dress up and make mosquitos with scientists from the London School of Hygeine and Tropical Medicine

and full of sparkling characters who will excite and enthuse the whole family with true tales of the past. Far from being a decaying relic, this ancient fortress provides a family day out full of drama and interest that really lives up to that often heard

selection of Beatrix Potter’s whimsical paintings featuring her well-loved characters at Lyme Park, Cheshire. Children can also enjoy potter-inspired crafts, storytelling and dressing-up. Sam’s Musical VoyageJanuary 14Set sail on a seafaring voyage

HalloweenOctober 29Little monsters will lap up this Hallowe’en fun day at the National Museum Of Flight in North Berwick. Ghouls and Goblins will be on hand for photo opportunities, there will be a scary spider hunt, a ghost land train, and traditional