Dai Morgan, 67, from Llanfair Caereinion, who wished to remain anonymous, said he was furious after a group of children complimented him on his frightening Halloween costume while he was putting the bins out.
“I was wearing my normal clothes. A pair of trousers I’ve had since 1987, an old green jumper and my wellies.”
“One little bugger asked if I was supposed to be a zombie. Another said my face looked really realistic and wanted to know where I’d bought the mask.”
“I told him it was my actual bloody face.”
Mr Morgan said the situation deteriorated when one of the children asked whether the strange smell was part of the costume.
“That was the manure I’d been spreading in the garden. I’ve never been so insulted in my life.”
Houses Mistaken for Haunted Attractions
Across the county, residents have reported similar problems, with ordinary homes being mistaken for professionally decorated haunted houses.
In Llanidloes, Mair Evans, 74, who wished to remain anonymous, said she was forced to turn away more than thirty trick-or-treaters who believed her cottage was part of a Halloween attraction.
“I haven’t decorated the house for Halloween. That’s just what it looks like.”
“The cobwebs have been there for years, the front gate’s been hanging off since 2009 and the strange noise coming from the attic is probably a squirrel.”
Mrs Evans said one family had spent fifteen minutes photographing her property before asking whether they could pay to go inside.
“They said it was the most authentic haunted house they’d ever seen.”
“I told them it was a two-bedroom cottage and I was trying to watch The Chase.”
The situation became particularly unpleasant when a father congratulated her on the realistic skeleton sitting in the upstairs window.
“That’s my husband Gwyn. He was having a nap.”
Trick-or-Treaters Have Become an Annual Menace
Residents say the worst aspect of Halloween is the relentless stream of children knocking on doors demanding sweets.
Many households report being visited repeatedly throughout the evening, despite having no pumpkins, decorations or illuminated signs suggesting they are participating.
Gareth Price, 59, from Rhayader, who wished to remain anonymous, said the annual ordeal had become unbearable.
“Every bloody year it’s the same. They knock on the door, shout ‘trick or treat’ and then tell me how frightening I look.”
“I don’t celebrate Halloween. I don’t buy sweets for strangers and I certainly don’t dress up.”
“Last year a little girl asked if I was Frankenstein. This year her younger brother asked if I was the monster from The Goonies.”
Mr Price said he had attempted to discourage visitors by switching off all the lights, closing the curtains and refusing to answer the door.
Unfortunately, the strategy backfired.
“They thought it was part of the haunted house experience. One family stood outside for twenty minutes saying how atmospheric it was.”
“Then somebody posted a photograph of my house on Facebook with the caption ‘Best Halloween display in Mid Wales’.”
“I had people driving past until midnight.”
Local Man Wins Fancy Dress Competition Without Entering
In one particularly embarrassing incident, a man from Builth Wells reportedly won first prize at a Halloween fancy dress competition despite having no knowledge that the event was taking place.
Emrys Jenkins, 71, who wished to remain anonymous, had stopped at his local pub for a pint after spending the afternoon repairing a fence.
“I’d been working outside all day. I had mud on my trousers, a bit of blood on my hand where I’d caught it on some wire and an old coat with a hole in the shoulder.”
“Next thing I know, somebody’s handing me a £50 voucher and telling me I’ve won best costume.”
Mr Jenkins said he was initially delighted until he discovered the judges believed he was dressed as a recently exhumed Victorian grave robber.
“I was bloody furious. That’s my Sunday coat.”
He has since refused to return the prize, arguing that the judges’ decision was final.
Halloween Tourism Creating New Problems
The county’s apparent reputation for frightening appearances and atmospheric properties has reportedly attracted increasing numbers of Halloween enthusiasts from elsewhere in Wales and England.
Visitors have been spotted photographing abandoned farm machinery, overgrown gardens and residents waiting for buses.
One family from Birmingham reportedly drove to Machynlleth after reading online that the town featured some of Britain’s most realistic Halloween characters.
They were particularly impressed by a group of elderly men standing outside a pub.
“They looked absolutely terrifying,” said one visitor. “The costumes were incredible. One of them even had a real pipe.”
The men, who had been discussing the price of sheep, reportedly told the visitors to piss off.
The family described the encounter as “a brilliantly immersive experience”.
Council Urged to Take Action
A fictional campaign group, Powys Residents Against Halloween Nonsense (PRAHN), has called for greater public awareness and an end to what it describes as seasonal appearance-based discrimination.
The group wants visitors to understand that not every old cottage is a haunted house, not every person wearing an old coat is dressed as a zombie, and not every unexplained noise in a garden is part of an elaborate Halloween sound installation.
Spokesperson Glenys Pugh, 63, from Knighton, who wished to remain anonymous, said enough was enough.
“People need to understand that we’re not putting on a show. This is just Powys.”
“If someone’s got a rusty tractor in their front garden, it’s probably because it hasn’t worked since 1994, not because they’re recreating a scene from The Texas Chainsaw Massacre.”
“And if you see an old woman walking down the street with a broom, she’s probably just been sweeping the yard.”
Mrs Pugh added that the campaign was particularly concerned about children shouting “witch” at elderly women.
“Last year somebody offered my sister £20 to have her photograph taken because they thought she was dressed as the witch from Snow White.”
“She’s 82 and was waiting for the bus to Newtown.”
Residents Already Dreading Next Year
With Halloween now over, residents across Powys are hoping for a return to normality, although many fear the same problems will return next October.
Mr Morgan says he intends to prepare for next year by putting a large sign outside his property explaining that he is not participating.
The proposed sign will read:
“THIS IS NOT A HALLOWEEN DISPLAY. THIS IS MY HOUSE. THESE ARE MY NORMAL CLOTHES. THIS IS MY ACTUAL FACE. NOW BUGGER OFF.”
However, neighbours have warned that the sign could be mistaken for part of an elaborate horror attraction.
Meanwhile, Mrs Evans from Llanidloes has reportedly received a letter from a television production company asking whether her cottage could feature in a documentary about Britain’s most haunted homes.
She’s declined the invitation.
“I’ve got enough problems with the damp without some bloody ghost hunter wandering around with a camera.”
At the time of going to press, Powys residents were bracing themselves for Christmas, when visitors traditionally begin complimenting them on their realistic Victorian poverty-themed decorations.
