Why is it so much fun dressing up? As soon as it ticks over onto October 1^st I can’t concentrate for thinking about Halloween. Where will we go out? What will I go as? My friends better not steal my idea!

I think this deep-rooted love of Halloween stems from my childhood. I have a nut allergy (one of the throat-closing, eye-swelling kinds) so rather than brave the oral dangers of going door-to-door, my mum bought me my favourite chocolate bar and we watched a witchy movie on the Disney Channel. When Halloween became less about solids and more about liquids that’s when I started to get excited.

I don’t know if you’ve ever been to Ayr, but take it from someone that grew up in the ‘shire, Halloween is a hayoooooge deal. There isn’t much to do (we have three clubs - two of which only open Thursday-Sunday, and a dire cinema) but once a year everyone 16+ comes crawling out the woodwork donning PVC and fake blood to celebrate in the wackiest and tackiest way possible.

So, the fact that I couldn’t trick-or-treat and having Ayr as my hometown creates Halloween hysteria.

Trying to explain why my friends (most of whom are also from Ayr) were coming round in costume - a larger percentage than you’d think in drag - to my flatmate Rachel (who says that in Clackmannanshire it’s not that big a deal) was a bit of a lost cause. She reluctantly agreed to buy a ticket for ABC and backed slowly away as I attempted to make a Corpse Bride-style wedding dress.

I always think about that thing Miranda says in the SATC movie: “the only two choices for women are witch or sexy kitten”. I’m firmly in the scary (or at least properly dressed up) costume camp. I love going out as either something current (Lily Allen in sixth year) or something classic (Cleopatra last year). It’s not ‘get your bum out’ night, although clearly a lot of people who we saw roaming down Sauchiehall Street need to be told this. I saw more cheese-wire underwear than effort. Bunny ears and a tutu maketh a costume not.

Anyway, with a face full of zombie paint, ripped dress, veil (which was unbelievably hard to find, are all the hen nights happening this week?!) and a few drinks in our living room I was ready to go along with Poison Ivy, the Queen of Hearts, a cowboy, Clark Kent, Little Red Riding Hood, a china doll, a vampire, 80s girl and two prison inmates.

The other thing about Halloween is that quite often the costume planning and pre-session are better than the night out. We paid £8 in advance to get into ABC, apparently so did half of Glasgow. After 2 hours of my make-up melting and relatively-sober dancing with my arms by my side it was time for a Subway (cheese and toasted, southwest sauce) and bed - safe in the knowledge that it’s only 11 months until I can plan next year’s ensemble.