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Castle launches spooky competition for children Children are being invited to put pen to paper for the chance to win a spooky new writing competition. Muncaster Castle in the Lake District is launching a new ghost story writing competition. There will be two categories, one for children aged 11 and under and another for children aged 12 to 16. So if you think you can create characters to rival Moaning Myrtle and Nearly Headless Nick in Harry Potter, Casper the Friendly Ghost or even something a little scarier, now’s the time to put pen to paper. Peter Frost Pennington, whose family own the Castle, says; “Muncaster is reputed to be one of the country’s most haunted castles. There are lots of stories about ghosts here, many dating back hundreds of years. “We know there are lots of creative young minds out there. So if you think you could write a really good ghost story we want to hear from you.” Many of the stories about ghosts at Muncaster involve Tom Fool, the Castle’s former jester. Some people believe he is still causing mischief, around 400 years after he lived at the Castle. There are also stories about the 'Muncaster Boggle' or White Lady. She has reportedly been seen in the gardens and on the roads around the Castle. To find out more about Muncaster Castle’s ghosts visit www.muncaster.co.uk. The winner in each category will receive a book token worth £100. The winner and two runners up in each category will also receive free family tickets giving entry to Muncaster for one year. A selection of the best entries will be included on the Muncaster Castle website. The closing date for entries is Friday 26th October. The winner will be announced on Halloween Night, 31st October. The competition is being sponsored by Osprey Communications, Cumbria’s leading public relations agency. Children looking for last minute inspiration for their story can visit Muncaster during the Castle’s Halloween Week, which runs from the 22nd to the 28th of October. Any children wearing fancy dress will get free entry to Muncaster throughout Halloween Week and on Halloween Night itself. There will be special after dark ghost tours of the Castle each evening during Halloween Week and on the 31st of October. There is an extra charge for the tours which include a chance to see the Castle’s famous ‘haunted’ Tapestry Room. Halloween Week will include a ‘ghostly grotto’ where there will be magic shows, games and face painting. And the gardens and Castle will be lit up with an array of multicoloured lights as part of Darkest Muncaster until 9pm each evening. Stories in the 11 and under category should be no longer than 500 words and the limit for stories by older children is 1000 words. Entries can either be sent in by an individual or a school and can emailed to info@muncaster.co.uk or posted to: The Muncaster Ghost Story Writing Competition
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