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The Howl is a fairly new event- debuting in 2015 in Leighton Buzzard, it has slowly became more and more known amongst the community. It is the sister park to Shocktoberfest, so it shares a lot of DNA with its brother. I first visited in 2015 on opening night- I found it to be very fun and had an AMAZING street team, though with its mazes it very much was very similar to Shocktoberfest, which meant that if you had been to Shocktober, you generally knew what to expect. 7 years on, and the event has grown and evolved into its own thing. This year it felt like a total different place to how it was in 2015, it was amazing to see the growth and its unique quirks that it has developed over the past 7 years. One thing I would like to comment on first about The Howl is that I believe it is great value for money- I paid about £30 for entry, which sounds like a lot. But at Towers and Thorpe you are looking at £32 minimum for 3-4 mazes, but for £30 you get 6 at The Howl. I also believe the roaming team are amongst the best in the country- the characters are now completely different to Shocktoberfest's, but keep a lot of the wit and charm, and made me laugh in between mazes. RED: Red is a small maze- it has a pretty small building, and lasts only a few minutes. Despite this it manages to cram in so many scares in that short time period. It reminds me of a little of Creepy Cottage if it took steroids. It has a great puppet moment, and some brilliant masks mixed in with a cast who harass you. The maze is short, but jesus it packs in so much it completely makes up for it. Attic: This maze has some beautiful theming- I love the use of levels and it has a few genius moments for scares. The actual Attic section itself is brief though intense, and certainly is a quirky moment that'll stick it out from the other mazes. The cast were more than lively too! Toppers Twister: I love clown mazes- I love the interactions, the freedom for the actors, and the contrasting colors to other mazes. Clown mazes always stick out to me, and forever have a place in my heart. Toppers Twister is a very good clown maze- it has a great trommel tunnel, some weird sets like a ball pit, and a pretty tried and tested finale- a true tulleys hat trick. The cast were very lively, full of wit, and seemed to be having a fun time- being in a clown maze is also a fun time. If you're not scared of clowns, you'll still get some laughs and fun out of this. Its a solid maze that oozes joy. Howl Valley High: First off can I comment on the theming? This maze is SO well themed it feels like a complete new chapter for the mazes at The Howl with its sets. I also love the theme, it is fairly unique in my opinion, and is a very cool concept. The cast were very interactive and lively, and in the second half became increasingly more threatening and scary. I feel the maze is a really good addition, and I cannot wait to see how it evolves over the years, and the future of new mazes at this event. The Shed: This maze is the same as it was in 2015, but I do not mind as it was great then, it is still great. I love some of the outdoor sets, and its use of hiding spots and holes for actors to come out of nowhere. There was also a moment where I saw 5 actors in one room, which was pretty amazing and equally scary as hell. Squealers Yard: Now, all of The Howl's mazes are good/great, but Squealers is by far the crown jewel in my opinion. It is the longest on park, the most varied with its sets, the most intense in my opinion, and even confusing at one point with a crazy room that ruin your sense of direction. The ending also is savage for people like me who have a certain fear. The maze even had some good comedy in the first half, which just is the cherry on the cake. Overall I would say the lineup is very equal- no maze stood out as bad, and a lot of them had very spread out queues due to this. I had an amazing night there, and I have not even mentioned the Circus Of Horrors! But yeah it is a very solid event, and great for those who are north of London and a little too far from Shocktoberfest

Would like to see reviews, comparisons to other events and general discussion here! Baffles me no one has to my knowledge made a topic for Tulleys ... (if one already exists awks) :/ Going for the first time in a few weeks (FINALLY *yawns*)

This Blog Will Contain Spoilers And Sarcasm you've been warned! So back in 2015 Scarefest really got a kick up the arse! Scarefest has created some of the best scare attractions in the industry, but back in 2013/2014 the quality of the mazes where really plummeting.. Thankfully last year was one of the best years in Scarefests history, so I was itching to get back! So after a grueling 4 hour drive, a fun M1 Traffifc jam, and a posh meal at Mcdonalds, I was there! FYI I can't review House Of Monsters as I'm not a f*cking billionaire, hence why I purchased a meal from scrubby Mcdonalds.. Terror of the Towers: What Lies Within TOTT returns, and it feels a lot toned down from last year. Last year TOTT was actually quite brilliant, actors where crawling from everywhere.. This year seems to have some scenes cut as well, making the maze not as long as it used to be.. No don't get me wrong even with scenes cut its still pretty long, its well themed, and actors got a lot of scares. But overall TOTT is starting to get stale, I think a new story/replacement is in dire need, TOTT has long outstayed its welcome TBH-4.5/10 Altonville Mine Tours Altonville Mine Tours is new for this year, and I gotta say, I was highly impressed. The beginning involved some talking scenes with some great actors, they really got up in your face, and set the scene for the main maze. First off the theming was brilliant, the smell pods also seemed to be a little too strong as well! The attraction also made use of the Haunted Lantern technology, which they handed at the start of the attraction. The Helmets themselves where a nice novelty, the attraction didn't rely on them, but they where a nice touch. The scares inside where pretty strong, the masks looked pretty freaky, and the actors where not afraid to manhandle you! The touching was not as strong as Sub Species, but it was still pretty intense! My only criticism is that the finale wasn't as strong as it couldn't of been, mainly as the first half is so chaotic! All in all- Altonville Mine Tours is a strong addition to the lineup-9/10 Sub Species: The End Games Sub Species returns relatively similar to last year, but in Sub Species case, its a GOOD thing! Sub Species really pushes the boundaries on what actors can do, I was pushed, I was grabbed, I even faced the second half of the maze alone! The maze section in particular was a highlight, it wasn't ME who was choosing which way to go, it was a actor pushing me that way! The maze seemed to be actors a-plenty, and at points they even worked together to corner people or separate groups! The touching was insane, it wasn't a little grab, it was full on push from room to room! The chainsaw ending is cliché, but it was effective and left our group running! Sub Species is IMO the best maze in a Merlin park for a while, and the scariest maze I've done this Halloween! My run through was utter insanity, this is by far one of the best scare attractions I've done this year -10/10 Scarezones Even though the new scarezones are constantly compared to the old ones, I do really like how Alton are trying to do proper scarezones like they do in the US. Yes the old ones where better, but there where akin to mini mazes, not proper scarezones TBH. Freakshow was a vast improvement from last years Nox Infernus, the zone was pretty tight, meaning the actors where pretty interactive. I liked the circus-y type props around the zone, though the zone felt more fun than scary. The freaks where more making us laugh more than scaring us, but the zone was still really good fun! I sadly didn't get to experience Dark Apocalypse, but it looked pretty good! As I mentioned earlier, I wasn't bothered to cough up a fiver for House Of Monsters, but it looked pretty good, and most reviews of it are positive. Conclusion: Scarefest was a pretty good event this year, most of the mazes where really strong, and the scarezones and family entertainment really do shape up a well rounded event. Anyway, here's some crappy pictures taken by yours truly.. Nemmy Selfie in Freakshow More Freakshow I'll leave you on this note.. Smile. Always..

Beware this review may contain mild spoilers! So Tulleys Shocktoberfest is back! Overall being located at my local farm Tulleys is a must each year, this year sees two new attractions and a bunch of classics return! Creepy Cottage Even though being the smallest attraction at the event, Creepy Cottage is still a strong attraction. The theming and the eerieness of the attraction is really what makes it, plus a few actors make this attraction a little gem. Overall a fun start to the event- 6.5/10 PANDEMONIUM'S 3D CARNIVAL Overall very similar to other incarnations of Tulleys yearly clown maze, Pandemonium's was pretty fun. The maze like Nightshade Circus from last year shared a lot of scenes, but the 3D element towards the end made the maze even more confusing! Overall the maze was pretty good, but more funny than scary like usual-7/10 Haunted Hayride So the infamous hayride returns! The Hayride seemed to have a lot of work done to it this year, with a ton of new scenes! Overall the Hayride is fairly similar in tone to previous years, the attraction can sway between laughter and utter terror! The Hayride is just as impressive as usual, though we missed the twerking nuns -7/10 Hellements Hellements has always been decently dull for me, but this year it was actually pretty good! The scares where pretty effective, and the group where pretty desperate to get out! The effects are fun as always, the fire was as hot as ever, and the wind tunnel was so strong our hoods nearly fell off! Overall a improvement from last year-6.5/10 Coven Of 13 So Coven was quite a disappointment.. Some of the special effects where good and well executed, but the scares not so much.. The scares where piss-poor, and the maze lacked actors in places.. The maze had some pretty good theming in some places, so I'll give some credit.. I think Coven could be great once actors settle in, But Coven was somewhat poor from Tulleys- 3/10 The Colony The Colony was a mixed attraction for me last year, but the actors where surely rocking on preview night! The Colony last year lacked actors and was quite spread out, but this year the maze seemed to have a lot more actors than previous! The Maze still has a long length and great theming, but the scares throughout the attraction seemed to come thick and fast! One scare in particular was a very loud car horn which had me jumping outside my own skin! Overall the attraction is now a highlight of the event, and is well rounded maze which seems to go on forever-9/10 The Chop Shop The Chop Shop returns! The Maze still has a beautiful facade, and chainsaws galore! The Pacing is really the thing thats makes the Chop Shop, you'll go from hillbillies teasing you to being attacked with chainsaws at all angles! Overall actors seem to constantly re-appear, and the amount of hiding places and shortcuts for actors also make scares for actors pretty easy! A very impressive attraction-8.5/10 The Cellar The Cellar is the crown jewel of Tulleys. It is yearly great, and seems to never get old. The Cellar is a long, well themed, and very great with scares. The Maze itself at points seems to flood with actors, some scares being back-to-back! Overall a classic which always seems to be a highlight of the event every year-8.5/10 Roaming Actors: Tulleys is famous for its great roamers! This year is no different, the roamers are really something special at Tulleys! Had a few conversations with some of the roamers, and there really are brilliant-10/10 Conclusion: Tulleys has had a mixed year, some mazes being as good as ever, some being improved, some new additions completely failing. Overall I think the good outweighs the bad, if you live near the area it is definitely a must visit! Also to note its only preview night, so there is still time for stuff to change!