Britain's hot summer means smaller pumpkins in Banbury

Halloween may not be as bright this year because of a shortage of large pumpkins.
Karen Prior of Bodicote Flyover Farm Shop with the 2018 stock of Halloween pumpkins NNL-181016-095543009Karen Prior of Bodicote Flyover Farm Shop with the 2018 stock of Halloween pumpkins NNL-181016-095543009
Karen Prior of Bodicote Flyover Farm Shop with the 2018 stock of Halloween pumpkins NNL-181016-095543009

The dearth of decent-sized traditional varieties is due to this year’s drought, according to farmer Nigel Morris of the Bodicote Farm Shop.

“Our display isn’t half as big as normal because the pumpkins just haven’t grown as big as usual,” he said.

Pumpkins are a field crop and need a lot of water to grow bigPumpkins are a field crop and need a lot of water to grow big
Pumpkins are a field crop and need a lot of water to grow big

“It’s not so bad for the big farmers in places like East Anglia as they are geared up to it with irrigation systems so they are still able to supply some reasonably sized pumpkins.”

Even in the supermarkets the selection of Halloween fruits - a member of the squash family - is smaller than usual.

Pumpkins are a field crop and grow in fleshy, spikey vines. One large pumpkin plant can cover several hundred square feet of space by the end of the growing season - and they drink a lot of water, which was in short supply this summer.

According to Wikipedia it is believed the custom of making pumpkin lanterns at Halloween began in Ireland.

Intricate pumpkin lightsIntricate pumpkin lights
Intricate pumpkin lights

In the 19th century, turnips or mangel wurzels, hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces, were used at Halloween.

The lanterns were said to represent the spirits or supernatural beings or used to ward off evil spirits. Sometimes they were used at Halloween to set on windowsills to keep harmful spirits away.

For those wishing to make an attractive pumpkin lantern - otherwise known as a jack o’lantern - the National Trust has prepared a tuition video.

https://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/features/spooky-halloween-adventures#