Pumpkins and onions

Pumpkins and onions The Kremlin, Brighton Pavilion and Tivoli Gardens all emulate the onion domes of Islamic architecture, but this week Tivoli’s dome is covered by a vast pumpkin Jack O’Lantern as the gardens re-open for a week to celebrate Halloween. This American festival seems to be displacing local traditions here in Yrp. I haven’t in years seen children in London asking for “a penny for the guy”, but they show up in hordes at the door to demand “Trick or Treat”. Perhaps they prefer Halloween’s scary costumes to burning an effigy, though I would have picked malice and ritual violence to win every time. Perhaps their parents just won’t let them out on the streets any more.

I was recounting to an 11-year-old recently how my sister and I when 13 or 14 were cheerfully allowed to go off cycling and youth hostelling for a few days. His eyes were as big as his lost freedoms. Given the choice, would he really prefer Playstation and Grand Auto Theft to a bicycle and a Famous Five novel?

At any rate, Tivoli was packed with families and young children, and after picking our way around for a bit through the throng, Catharina Lovén and I found ourselves a memorable dinner at Reinwalds.