EDITOR Linda Koch
ARTWORK & DESIGN Emily Galvin
CONTRIBUTORS Annaleigh Koch Christopher Wheatley Hannah Nicholas Betty Pamper Nicky Rockets Kurtryan Koch Amanda Attwood Jazmine Lampitt Ellis Guy Lily Ashford Jennifer Lakelin Mark Henderson Oliver WIlson
0845 872 1473 www.bgpmagazine.co.uk
www.ukplussizeevents.com DISCLAIMER: All text and layout is the copyright of UK Plus Size Events. Nothing in this magazine may be reproduced in whole or part without the written permission of the publisher. All copyrights are recognised and used specifically for the purpose of criticism and review. Although the magazine has endeavoured to ensure all information is correct at the time of going to print, prices and availablilty may change. This magazine is fully independant and not affiliated in any way with any companies
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6 What We’ve Been Upto 8 British plus Size Awards 2014 Find out more about the presenters and performers 11 WIN Two tickets to the British Plus Size Awards 12 Scarily Beautiful - with Annaleigh Koch 25 Party Time Hallowen party products to get your party started 26 A BGP Guide to the perfect Fright Fest Everything you need to throw the best scary movie night 36 Betty Pamper’s Halloween Glam for the Curvy Witch 42 The Little Big Black Dress 44 3 tasty treats to make with leftover Pumpkin Create three deliciously awesome treats for Halloween 50 Trick or treat? Kid’s Halloween Costumes
EDITOR’S LETTER Welcome to our Ghoulish mini edition of BGP Magazine, a special issue for all your Halloween needs! We can’t wait for our Big Girls Paradise Halloween party on 1st November, and there are some fantastic ideas throughout the issue to make this Halloween your creepiest one yet. Our Christmas Edition will be out on 1st December, but in the meantime feast your eyes upon some of the interesting articles we have put together for you! Read our tips on hosting the perfect Fright Fest on page 26, where you can find yourself some scary movies to view, and while you are doing that why not prepare some of our delicious recipes on page 44 to nibble while hiding behind the couch! Loving the images of my beautiful daughter who modelled the front cover for us, so proud. I look forward to seeing you at The British Plus Size Awards on 22nd November.
Linda Koch x
It’s been a busy couple of months for the BGP team! Here are just a few of the things that we’ve been up to since our last issue...
WHAT WE’VE BEEN UPTO... BGP Magazine at Plus North
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GP Magazine were very excited to attend the annual plus size event, Plus North, which took place in August earlier this year! First things first, what is Plus North? Well, for us it was a chance to meet some beautiful women, amazing brands, super talented bloggers, and generally immerse ourselves in the
fabulous world of plus size fashion. With our camera in one hand and a bag full of freebies (who doesn’t love freebies?!) in the other, we came away from the event feeling empowered and inspired from the sheer amount of confidence that oozed from the attendees. It was also refreshing to see so many plus size fashion
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brands and designers with their upcoming AW14 collections, and truly showed how far the plus size fashion industry has come in terms of designing fashionable items for the everyday curvy girl. You can read all about the people and brands we met at the Plus North over on our blog, at www. bgpmagazine. co.uk/blog!
NEW VEN
Big Girls Paradise is p announce that they h lovely new venue for parties, with a great t advance and £10 on t The price includes a £4 drinks voucher, and is in place for the relaunch party night on Saturday 18th October. The new venue is the amazingly cool Black Dog Ballroom, which you can find at 11 New Wakefield Street, Manchester, M1 5NP. Their customers did not like the previous venue Copperface Jacks, in the bowels of the Palace Hotel in Manchester, where they used to hold their regular parties. So, BGP listened to what the customers wanted and
FAVOURITE TWEET! Kayleigh @strawberrykk Sep 8 @BGPMagazine I am obsessed with reading your articles atm, everything is very relative! Love it! #excellentjob
Miss Plus Size International 2015 Finalists Revealed!
NUE FOR BIG GIRLS PARADISE - BLACK DOG BALLROOM
pleased to have secured a r BGP Manchester ticket offer of £7 in the door. have with the help of their new Manchester based team found this lovely new venue. We hope you will all take advantage of this great offer and go along and see for yourself. If you want to book your tickets in advance you can send your payment through Paypal to payment@ biggirlparadise.com. It really is a fantastic night out! BGP are also delighted to announce and introduce their new Manchester based DJ Shaggy, Linda Koch says “We do not always get it right, but we do try and listen to what our customers want and make the changes that they want so hopefully this new venue will become our new BGP Manchester home where we can organise more regular parties for the local Manchester and surrounding areas plus size community and their admirers. “ To find out more, visit www.biggirlsparadise.co.uk.
Finalists Miss Plus Size International 2015 have been selected! After a series of interviews, which took place across the country in Bournemouth, London and Birmingham, 41 beautiful finalists were selected to enter the final round of the plus size beauty pageant. Plus size women from around the world applied in their thousands, and the finalists were selected from over 900 interviewees. The finalists can now look forward to an event filled year, featuring exciting photoshoot makeovers, a boot camp weekend consisting of workshops, talks and professional pageant training, and most importantly, the Grand Final, which will take place in Manchester on
19th September 2015, at the luxurious Mercure Manchester Piccadilly Hotel. All of the finalists have been revealed on the MPSI website, which is www. missplussizeinternational. com. We look forward to hearing more about their journey to the finals in future issues of BGP Magazine, and wish each contestant the very best of luck!
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British Plus Size Awards 2014
B
ritish Plus Size Awards 2014 have announced that they are adding a fabulous new presenter to present with Gemma Collins for 2014, previous co-presenter Jeff Brazier had to step down from his presenting duties due to family commitments, but we look forward to seeing more from Jeff in the near future! Fortunately, however, replacing Jeff is the equally as gorgeous, handsome Welsh presenter Matt Johnson. The handsome presenter is best known for presenting in the interactive ‘Hub’ on ITV’s This Morning, and for co-hosting Channel 5′s OK! TV. Matt Johnson is also a talented vocalist, and appeared on ITV’s Your Face Sounds Familiar, in which he came runner up. Major swoon! Matt will be joined by plus size beauty, copresenter Gemma Collins, who gained success after appearing on ITV2′s The Only Way is Essex. Gemma has also launched her own fashion collection Gemma Collins Official, for which Gemma won a British Plus Size Award in 2013 for Best Fashion Designer. Other celebrities who have confirmed attendance include British Plus Size Award Best Achievement Award Winner 2013 Lisa Riley, plus size model nominee Hayley Hasselhoff, and Eastender’s star Cheryl Fergison, amongst plenty of others.
The Awards promises to be an evening of glitz and glamour, and no show is complete without some fabulous entertainment. Providing a true variety of acts, performing on this year’s British Plus Size Awards stage are the fantastic musical and vocalist, Rosie O’Sullivan who, after appearing on Britain’s Got Talent’s and after performing her first audition, Simon Cowell said was ‘Bloody Fantastic’ and David Williams said he could listen to her sing all night! Rosie’s album is due for completion later this year. Blobbie Williams is one of the most original and respected tribute/parody acts to the ultimate entertainer, Robbie Williams! From his hair and clothes right through to his light-footed dance moves, no stone is left unturned. Back by popular demand, the young, beautiful and extremely talented vocalist Bethany Churcher will take be perfmorning for the second year running, after the mind blowing performance she gave at last year’s British Plus Size Awards. Previous BGP Magazine cover
girl Emma Haslam will also be performing her acrobatic skills, with an exclusive performance. We are also VERY excited to announce that the BPSA have added two brand new acts. Big Ballet UK will be premiering their first ever contemporary ballet choreographed by their Artistic Director, Daniel Jones, at the British Plus Size Awards, and plus size actress and comedian Ashleigh Owen will have the audience in fits of laughter. Ashleigh was the winner of last year’s Hamburger Queen at The Royal Vauxhall Tavern and recent winner of ‘Star Quality’ at The Churchill Theatre Bromley. She has since gone on to perform at Bestival and the Shoreditch town hall. We can’t wait to see all these amazing artists perform, and the show is looking to be one of the biggest plus size events of the year.
To book your tickets for the British Plus Size Awards 2014, visit their website britishplussizeawards. co.uk to find out more! www.bgpmagazine.co.uk - 9
BRITISH PLUS SIZE AWARDS 2014
VOTE ONLINE TODAY! The British Plus Size Awards are proud to present the top 6 short-listed nominees in each category for 2014, and voting is now open! To vote who YOU would like to win, simply visit britishplussizeawards.co.uk or click on this page to go straight there!
britishplussizeawards.co.uk
COMPETITION TIME
WIN! Two tickets to the British Plus Size Awards Ceremony 2014 BGP Magazine would be nothing without the support of our fans, to say a big thank you and celebrate being nominated for Best Magazine at the British Plus Size Awards 2014, we’re giving away not one but TWO complimentary tickets to this year’s Grand Award ceremony! For your chance to win, simply head over to Facebook page www.facebook.com/BGPMagazine and follow the instructions!
Scarily
Beautiful
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a lloween costumes may conjure up the image of blood drenched zombies, green and gruesome witches or ghostly costumes involving a white sheet with a few eye holes cut out, but here, BGP beauty and make up artist Annaleigh Koch shows us that you can look creepy and beautiful at the same time in this Halloween inspired photo shoot.
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Halloween is the time of year to throw a great party, so here’s a few products to help you organise and host you’re own spookily good get together!
L-R: Spider fold-out fun, £2 from Tiger Stores, Halloween baking from £6 at Sainsburys, LED Acrylic Pumpkin Light £3.50 from Marks & Spencers
L-R: Electronic doorbell , £10 from Wilkinson, Emergency outfits, £7 from Accessorize Ghostly party starter kit for 16, £17 from Littlewoods
L-R: Halloween coffin pinata, £17 from Littlewoods, Tombstone, £3 from Wilkinson, Halloween cake stand, £3 from Tiger Stores
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ily Galvin
Em Written by
TOP 5
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othing quite beats trembling behind a pillow whilst watching something so terrifying your hair stands on end. The suspense, the mystery, the madness! Whether it be spine-tingling serial killers, unrealistic zombie apocalypses, or gore-filled ghost stories, BGP Magazine has put together the ultimate guide to the perfect fright fest to make this Halloween a scary one!
CHILLING CLASSICS
PSYCHO (1960) - ALFRED HITCHCOCK
If we had a time machine, we would love nothing more than to travel back to 1960 and watch Psycho for the very first time. Often hailed the king of the horror genre, Alfred Hitchcock delivered this near-perfect movie to an audience who were completely unaware of what was in store, including one of the most recognised movie scenes to this day. Simply saying the word ‘horror’ conjures up images of Janet Leigh in the shower, with the classic ‘eek, eek, eek’ that we all know and love! What we love most about Psycho is the inventive story that practically invented the term ‘plot twist’, and a story as good as Psycho never gets old. 26 - www.bgpmagazine.co.uk
HALLOWEEN (1978) - JOHN CARPENTER
This beloved Halloween classic by John Carpenter is nothing short of a masterpiece, telling the tale of escaped mental patient Michael Myers, who returns home on Halloween to torment and kill a group of young babysitters. The story is simple but executed perfectly, with a young and beautiful Jamie Leigh Curtis playing the damsel in distress. The scenes filmed through Michael Myers iconic white mask will haunt our dreams forever, and this movie has since gone on to become one of the biggest horror movie franchises ever, so if you’re looking for classic suspense, Halloween is definitely the one to watch!
A NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET (1984) - WES CRAVEN
When Wes Craven created revenge filled, dream invading, super villain Freddy Krueger, he unleashed a world of nightmares upon the nation! Quite possibly one of the most inventive slasher movies we’ve ever seen, A Nightmare on Elm Street is everything we could want in a horror movie. The story itself is THE SHINING (1980) terrifying, a child murderer who lives on in the dreams of the children of those that killed him, and the movie - STANLEY KUBRICK is full of gore, suspense and shocking moments. To Kubrick can rarely do wrong when it comes to this day the movie gives us chills, just whatever you do, turning a book into a visual masterpiece, but he don’t fall asleep...! went above and beyond when he directed The Shining. The base material, written by THE EXORCIST (1973) Stephen King, would have been hard to - WILLIAM FRIEDKIN do badly, but it’s how Kubrick interpreted The moment you hear Mike King’s world that makes the movie Oldfield’s famous Tubular Bells so incredible. The Torrance family you are transported right back to become winter caretakers of a remote the teenage Regan’s bedroom, hotel, and young Danny starts seeing satanic vomit flying around, disturbing visions of the hotel’s past, demonic voices and some of using a telepathic gift referred to as “The the best optical effects of the 70’s. Shining”. The Shining is a truly chilling tale The Exorcist was one of the most of how isolation can drive a person insane, controversial of the 20th century, with and it’s suspense, scares and dramatic build many people fainting during watching! up makes this movie one of the most critically Linda Blair, who played the possessed teenage acclaimed horror movies of all time! girl, was actually so inundated with death threats from religious zealots that she actually had to have bodyguards for 6 months after the film was released. To this day The Exorcist remains one of the highest grossing films of all time, and is considered by many the ultimate horror movie!
Special mention to: The cursed paranormal movie Poltergeist (1982), demonic horror The Omen (1976), Hitchcock’s thriller The Birds (1963), appropriately named Friday the 13th (1980) and gripping gore fest The Texas Chainsaw Massacre (1974)! www.bgpmagazine.co.uk - 27
THE DESCENT (2005) - NEIL MARSHALL
TOP 5
SUPER SCARERS
This thriller is one of the most terrifying cinematic experiences we’ve yet to watch. After a caving expedition goes horribly wrong, a group of female friends find themselves trapped in the darkness and pursued by a strange breed of underground predators. The Descent explores how friendship is tested in extreme circumstances, and perfects the balance of psychological horror and genuine gruesome scares. This film is so dark, we suggest you line up your favourite Disney movie to help you find the light once it’s finished.
SAW (2004) - JAMES WAN
PARANORMAL ACTIVITY (2007) - OREN PELI
Before this movie franchise went into a downward spiral of carbon copies and low budget effects, James Wan created one of the most groundbreaking horror movies of the 21st century. The original plot and huge twists left viewers gasping, and it soon became one of the most talked about movies of all time. The movie forces viewers to watch as less-than-perfect citizens are put into unsettling and horrific predicaments to discover how far they are willing to go to save their life. Expect some uncomfortable INSIDIOUS (2010) and painful watching! - JAMES WAN
Oren Peli really made an impressive name for himself when he debuted with this freaky paranormal movie about a couple who become increasingly disturbed by a creepy demonic presence. Not only was the filming completed James Wan in just 10 days with a cast of strikes again, 5, the film was completed on this time with a small budget of $15,000. the dark and eerie ghost Paramount bought the US rights story Insidious. Insidious is for $350,000, and the one of the most genuinely film went on to make scary horror movies that $193 million has graced the big screen in a long, worldwide, making long time. There is little to none blood Paranormal or gore, but instead there are terrifying Activity the most moments that will may well make you throw profitable film your popcorn over your nearest and dearest. ever made Horror fans will not be disappointed with this based on old-school style of horror, and unlike so many return of others, the sequel is just as brilliant! investment. Amazing! 28 - www.bgpmagazine.co.uk
DAWN OF THE DEAD (2004) - ZACK SNYDER It’s just not Halloween without a gruesome zombie movie to watch, and whilst there is an abundance of amazing zombie movies out there, we’ve chosen to honour Dawn of the Dead, partly because of it’s cinematic brilliance, and partly because it has one of the coolest soundtracks ever. The idea of waking up in a world where your nearest and dearest are looking for a neighbour to munch on is terrifying enough, but an amazing cast, epic amounts of gore, and almost unbearable scares make this one of our favourites to watch this Halloween.
Special mention to: Eli Roth’s gruesome Hostel (2005), horror mogul Rob Zombie’s The Devil’s Rejects (2005), super creepy suspense horror The Strangers (2008), James Wan’s most recent venture The Conjuring (2013), and puke-worthy horror hit The Human Centipede (2009).
TOP 5
COMEDY HORRORS YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN (1974) - MEL BROOKS
ZOMBIELAND (2009) - RUBEN FLEISCHER Our second zombie movie mention has to be the charming, fun yet heart-breaking Zombieland, which features the rather cute Jesse Eisenberg as a young student, who after realising that a zombie apocalypse has arose decides to journey to Ohio to find his family. Joining forces with loveable hard man Woody Harrelson, and teaming up with Emma Stone and Abigail Breslin along the way, the foursome encounter some hilarious situations along the way. Look out for a special guest Hollywood actor zombie!
We struggled somewhat trying to decide which comedy horror of the genius that is Mel Brooks to add to this list, but pair Mel Brooks with the loveable and comedic Gene Wilder and we believe you have a winning combination. This zany homage to the original Frankenstein is done with such skill and love, and features the perfect cast, an outstanding script, and classic comedy which five decades later will still make you laugh. Expect hilarious sight gags and puns aplenty!
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SHAUN OF THE DEAD (2004) - EDGAR WRIGHT As previously stated, there is a vast selection of amazing zombie movies out there, but this British zombie comedy is one of the most beloved horror comedies of all time. Brit comedy legends Simon Pegg and Nick Frost star as a couple of hapless mid-thirty roommates who take on a zombie apocalypse with hilarious outcomes, whilst Pegg tries to win back his girlfriend and save his mum at the same time. Shaun of the Dead is guaranteed to make you laugh in this faultless Halloween movie must!
ARMY OF DARKNESS SEVERANCE (2006) (1992) - SAM RAIMI - CHRISTOPHER SMITH This may be a little more comedy than horror, but who cares? Army of Darkness is an awesome movie from champion director Sam Raimi, that follows it’s predecessors Evil Dead I & II with hilarity and charm. Bruce Campbell, king of the B movie, plays arrogant yet comedic Ash, who is transported back in time to medieval times to defeat an army of undead. This movie is full of excellent one liners, slapstick comedy and is original and fresh from the beginning.
Squeamish? Might want to sit this out! Severance is a brilliantly dark British horror that brings a new sense of depth to the generic slasher movie. A group of sales representatives embark on what should have been a below average team-building trip, however things quickly go awry when the group are hunted down by crazed killers. The likeable cast, including the quintessentially British Danny Dyer, provide the light entertainment, whilst the story provides room for gore of epic proportions! Definitely worth a watch this Halloween!
Special mention to: Spooky but hilarious The Cabin in the Woods (2012), iconic 90’s comedy horror Idle Hands (1999), appropriate New Zealand comedy Black Sheep (2006), equally funny and ridiculous Hell Baby (2013), and the even more ridiculous brit zom-com Cockneys Vs Zombies (2012).
OLDBOY (2003) - CHAN-WOOK PARK
TOP 5
This Korean tale of revenge is an incredible story about Dae-su, a man who is kidnapped, imprisoned in a windowless room for 15 years without explanation and then suddenly released back into the real world equipped with money, a phone and clothes. As he struggles to come to terms with what had happened, Dae-su embarks on a path of pain and suffering in an attempt to get revenge on his captors. This film is nothing short of a masterpiece, but be prepared for some hard to watch scenes involving sushi like you’ve never seen it before!
FOREIGN FRIGHTS LET THE RIGHT ONE IN (2008) - TOMAS ALFREDSON
Our first vampire movie mention! Unlike most vampire movies, this is a beautifully shot coming-of-age story about a lonely young boy, Oskar, who finds friendship and love in mysterious girl next door, Eli, who can’t stand the sun or food, and needs to be invited to enter rooms... see where this is going? The vampire element takes a back seat in this movie, and the cold darkness of Sweden makes a stunning backdrop to this intense story, which is both horrifying yet tender.
THE ORPHANAGE (2007) - J.A BAYONA This bone-chilling Spanish horror from Bayona is a slick and scary movie centered around an orphanage, as the title suggests! Blending traditional shock scares with modern touches, the movie tells the tale of Laura, who decides to take her family back to the dilapidated orphanage where she grew up, only to reopen the orphanage for disabled children. Not before long, her adopted son begins communicating with his invisible new friends, cue plenty of horrifying moments that will have you jumping in your seats! www.bgpmagazine.co.uk - 31
MARTYRS (2008) - PASCAL LAUGIER Over the last decade, the French cinema has seen a wave in horror movies, which has even created a new genre known as ‘New French Extremism’, but that’s exactly what we believe this movie falls under. It is extreme, gripping, disturbing and brutal. Martyrs takes you on a young woman’s journey for revenge against the people who abused her as a child, along with her friend, who is also a victim of child abuse. We don’t want to give too much away, but this is a cinematic experience that will stay in your mind for days!
BATTLE ROYALE (2000) - KINJI FUKASAKU
Dubbed as the original ‘Hunger Games’, this Japanese horror is set in the not-so-distant future, where a class of ninth-grade students are forced by legislation to compete in ‘Battle Royal’, a game in which the 42 young students have just 3 days to fight to the death until there is just 1 student remaining. This movie focuses on the psychological torment the students are faced with, whilst maintaining the Japanese movie standard of having almost unbelievable amounts of gore and horror. Not for the faint of heart!
Special mention to: Spanish hand-held camera horror REC (2007), Takashi Shimizu creepy Japanese The Grudge (2002), Hong Kong filmed terrifying movie The Eye (2002), disturbing French film Switchblade Romance (2003) and tense Spanish thriller The Skin I Live in (2011).
SE7EN (1995) - DAVID FINCHER The quality of this dark, bleak crime thriller sets it apart from every other movie of it’s kind. An outstanding cast, an incredible script and the iconic, terrifying ending are just some of the reason’s that Se7en is one of BGP Magazine’s favourite movies. Brad Pitt and Morgan Freeman portray a pair of homicide detectives, on the hunt for a man who centers his crimes around the seven deadly sins. No matter how many times we watch it, it still manages to grip us from start to finish, and we consider it a movie that every horror fan should see!
PAN’S LABYRINTH (2006) - GUILLERMO DEL TORO Part war-movie, part epic fantasy, Pan’s Labyrinth is a brutal, magical fairytale set in gritty 1944 Spain that follows one young girl’s journey into adolescence as she tries to make sense of the world around her. Almost poignantly sad, Guillermo Del Toro’s work is visually stunning, but be prepared for some heart wrenching moments, violence that is almost too realistic to bear, and a childeating monster that will give you nightmares.
TOP 5
BGP FAVOURITES
THE SIXTH SENSE (1999) - M. NIGHT SHYAMALAN M.Night Shyamalan may have lost a few of his fans after the decline in quality of his recent work, but that will never take away from the sheer brilliance of The Sixth Sense, starring swoon-worthy Bruce Willis and baby faced Haley Joel Osment. A young boy who begins to see dead people seeks the help of a child psychologist, who soons discovers that the boy is far from delusional. Featuring the mother of all twists and incredible ending, The Sixth Sense is definitely one of BGP Magazine’s favourite scary movies!
THE ENTITY (1982) - SIDNEY J. FURIE This well made horror film, based on a true story, tells of the terrifying encounter of a young single mother who is repeatedly assaulted by a sexually aggressive ‘entity’. Her psychiatrist and friends shun her, fearing she is just losing her mind, although fortunately she runs into a group of parapsychologists who do their best to get rid of the entity. The overbearing music score aids this film is truly scary, and despite a few silly moments, it’s an overall effective horror movie that will stay with you for life.
THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS (1991) - JONATHAN DEMME If there was ever a film that proved you don’t need tons of blood and gore to have a good suspense film, this would be it. Anthony Hopkins’ memorable performance as deranged genius Hannibal Lecter earnt him a very well deserved Academy Award, and Jodie Foster as Clarice Starling was just as perfectly cast. The Silence of the Lambs is by far one of the greatest thriller’s in the history of cinema, and paired with it’s prequels and sequels makes a fantastically creepy movie night!
Special mention to: Stephen King’s truly terrifying Carrie (1976) John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), hard-towatch and deeply disturbing Funny Games (2007), gruesome slasher remake Texas Chainsaw Massacre (2003) and another Stephen King novel-turned-movie The Mist (2007). www.bgpmagazine.co.uk - 33
Top 5
Nostaligic Spooks for Kids Ghostbusters (1984) - Ivan Reitman One of the most iconic family movies of all time, and perfect for the whole family this Halloween, just don’t cross the streams! Gremlins (1984) - Joe Dante This movie may be a rating 15, but we’re sure that under some parental guidance kids would love watching these mischievous little pets. We won’t tell if you don’t! Hocus Pocus (1993) - Kevin Ortega A perfect movie for girls and boys, Hocus Pocus is a charming movie about three hysterical witches that are revived in 90’s Salem, that will leave you little ones trying to talk to the cat. Casper (1995) - Brad Silberling Everyone’s favourite friendly ghost, Casper changed the perception of children around the world of what a ghost should really be like, it turns out they’re adorable! Edward Scissorhands (1990) - Tim Burton Any Tim Burton movie will make perfect family viewing this Halloween, but we love this heartwarmingly eerie tale of romance and acceptance that never gets old!
Top 5
Terrifying TV Shows Penny Dreadful (2014-) Set in Victorian London, explorer Sir Malcolm Murray, American gunslinger Ethan Chandler, gothic beauty Vanessa Ives unite to combat supernatural threats. American Horror Story (2011-) This intensely deranged anthology series centers on different characters and locations, including a haunted house, insane asylum, witch coven, with now a circus freak show. Bates Motel (2013-) A prequel to the genre-defining hit horror movie ‘Psycho’, Bates Motel visits the teenage years of the disturbed Norman Bates, and his intricate relationship with his mother Norma. The Walking Dead (2010-) Based on the comic book series by Robert Kirkman, The Walking Dead follows police officer Rick Grimes as he leads a group of misfit survivors in a world overrun by zombies. Hannibal (2013-) Hannibal explores the early relationship between a renowned psychiatrist and his patient, a young FBI criminal profiler, who is haunted by his ability to empathize with serial killers.
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Top 5
Freaky Music Videos THRILLER - MICHAEL JACKSON The most recognisable of horror music videos. Sure, in a post Walking Dead world those zombies might not be too scary, but you know when you saw it as a little kid you got shook. SWEET DREAMS - MARILYN MANSON Mr Manson opened up a whole world of scary when he created this eerie cover of Eurythmics ‘Sweet Dreams’, with a video in which we can only imagine is every goths dream. CLOSER - NINE INCH NAILS Steampunk creepiness abounds with bugs, crucified monkeys, toilets, random nudity, random floating, and pig head machine contraptions. Lovely. ANIMALS - MAROON 5 The latest tune from beautifully formed Adam Levine and his troop has clearly taken some inspiration from his appearance in American Horror Story. Blood, anyone? ROCK DJ - ROBBIE WILLIAMS You thought it was just another Brit-pop influenced ‘mersh hit from the English bad boy until halfway through and he rips off his skin and the models eat it. Trip that.
Betty Pamper’s
HALLOWEEN GLAM for the
Curvy Witch O
ctober is all about Halloween. Everywhere you look there are ideas for costumes, horror make up and clothes featuring ghosts, bats and ghouls. Don’t worry if the thought of fancy dress makes you shudder and fake blood gives you the wrong kind of goose bumps, Halloween is the perfect excuse to ramp up your plus size glamour setting to eleven. No plastic bats required.
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Viva Le Vamp
The Halloween hottie is all about vampy glamour. It’s smouldering, seductive and ever so slightly gothic. Luckily the shops are starting to fill up with party frocks for the festive season so it couldn’t be a better time to find a dress that’s anything but a frocky horror. From black sequins to scarlet body con the colour range is definitely on the dark side of the moon. Channel some curvy witch sexiness with outfits which show off your gorgeous décolletage and emphasis your deliciously full booty. If ever there was a good excuse to unleash your inner temptress Halloween parties are one of them. Black stockings, killer heels, sheer fabrics and lace. You won’t be needing love spells this hallows eve-your outfit will provide all the magic you need.
Horrifyingly Hot Accessories
If you would rather not buy a whole new outfit for just one night of samhain celebrations you can add some spooky sparkle to your existing LBD with some well chosen accessories. Clutch bags will instantly have you swaggering like a diva and are the perfect excuse to show off your black manicure. This season is all about statement jewellery so throw on that bling. Jewelled collars, armful of bangles and jet www.bgpmagazine.co.uk - 39
coloured earrings add instant interest for a relatively small cost. If you are invited to a fancy dress party and dread spending all night sweating in a mummy outfit, themed accessories such as a bat necklace or coffin earrings with a pretty frock are the perfect stylish compromise. If anyone asks what you have come as just reply “ I’m a curvy witch with magical styling powers”
Magical Make Up
Halloween is the perfect excuse to add high drama to your usual make up looks. Common wisdom usually dictates that if you apply a smoky eye then a nude lip should prevail but all bets are off when it’s coming close to the witching hour. Add feline sass to your peepers with french flicks, smudge greys and black along your crease line and throw on lashings on mascara and long silky false eyelashes to bat at the moon. Lips should be dark and full, to compliment your mysterious smile. Don’t worry if a red lip is just too dramatic, use a deep pink or berry colour. Brush highlighter across your cheekbones and down the bridge of your nose. This will catch the light giving you a beautifully other worldly look. You are now ready to hop on your broomstick and go and find cocktails. Remember to get a cab if you go over the limit though-Never drink and fly! 40 - www.bgpmagazine.co.uk
Betty Pamper writes the daily plus size fashion blog www.pamperandcurves.blogspot.com Outfit by Yours Clothing Photography by Nicky Rockets
GET YOUR COLLECTION ON THE CATWALK FROM JUST £795 The Curvy Convention will be the ultimate curvy shopping experience with an array of plus size brands, designer’s retailers and e- tailers there to meet all your fashion needs! Amongst the curvaceous goodness will be beauty treatments, advice, entertainment and leisure opportunities to ensure your Curvy Convention experience has everything to suit your needs. Curvy Convention will also play host the The Real British Plus size Fashion Show, featuring up and coming designers, well known brands and independent fashion houses taking their plus size ranges the catwalk throughout the Curvy Convention.
Tickets £5 - An event most definitely not to be missed!
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The little big bl Grid Lace Dress, £65 from Simply Be
Statement necklace dress, Price TBA, from Elvi
Why not try...? If dressing up at Halloween isn’t really your thing, why not try adding a little accessory to turn your outfit into a subtle costume? These are just a few of the awesome products you can find in Accessorize, starting from just £4... 42 - www.bgpmagazine.co.uk
Beade from
lack dress
ed dress, ÂŁ69 m Curvissa
Lace Bodycon Dress, ÂŁ24.99 from Bon Prix
Find your perfect LBD to release your inner vixen this Halloween!
Embellished dress, Price TBA from Evans
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tasty treats to make with leftove
pump
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pkin
Halloween is a great time of year to get creative and carve some awesome pumpkin designs, but what do you do with all that left over pumpkin? Luckily, pumpkin can be absolutely delicious, so BGP Magazine shows you 3 tasty recipes to make the most of one of this season’s best vegetables!
{Pumpkin Pie} Pumpkin pie is a traditional sweet dessert pie, often eaten during autumn and winter, especially in the United States and Canada. The pumpkin is a symbol of harvest time and a great sophisticated Halloween treat for everyone. INGREDIENTS METHOD SERVES: 16 For the filling • 500g (1 1/4 lb) pumpkin, cooked and pureed • 1 (410g) tin evaporated milk • 2 eggs, beaten • 175g (6 oz) dark brown soft sugar • 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon • 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 1/2 teaspoon salt For the pastry • 350g (12 oz) plain flour • 1 teaspoon salt • 200g (7 oz) butter • 125ml (4 fl oz) cold water
1. Preheat oven to 200 C / Gas mark 6. 2. Halve pumpkin and scoop out seeds and stringy portions. Cut pumpkin into chunks. In a saucepan over medium heat, cover the pumpkin with water and bring to the boil. Reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes or until tender. Drain, cool and remove the peel. 3. Return pumpkin to the saucepan and mash with a potato masher. Drain well, and measure 500g of the mashed pumpkin; reserve any excess pumpkin for another use. 4. Prepare pastry by mixing together the flour and salt. Rub butter into flour, and add 1 tablespoon cold water to mixture at a time. Mix and repeat until pastry is moist enough to hold together. 5. With lightly floured hands, shape pastry into a ball. On a lightly floured board, roll pastry out to barely a .25cm thickness. Transfer to a 20 or 23cm pie dish, gently pressing pastry into the bottom. Cut off any excess pastry hanging over the sides of the dish, and pinch pastry securely around the inner edge. 6. In a large bowl with mixer speed on medium, beat pumpkin with evaporated milk, eggs, sugar, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and salt. Mix well. Pour into a prepared pie dish. Bake 40 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.
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Pumpkin Loaf Pumpkin bread is a type of moist quick bread made with pumpkin. The pumpkin can be cooked and softened before being used or simply baked with the bread. Frequent addins include nuts, chocolate chips, banana or raisins.
INGREDIENTS • 125g plain flour • 125g wholemeal flour • 1/2 teaspoon salt • 1/2 teaspoon bicarbonate of soda • 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder • 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice • 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg • 75ml vegetable oil • 110g brown soft sugar • 2 eggs • 75ml orange juice • 250g pumpkin (boiled and blended)
METHOD 1. Preheat an oven to 180 C / Gas 4. 2. Mix together flour, salt, bicarbonate of soda, baking powder, allspice and nutmeg. In a large bowl, beat together vegetable oil, dark brown soft sugar, eggs, orange juice and pumpkin. Stir flour mixture into pumpkin mixture until just combined. Pour batter into a prepared loaf tin. 3. Bake in preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes, until a skewer inserted into centre of the loaf comes out clean.
Pumpkin Soup This velvety pumpkin soup recipe is great for Bonfire Night or as quick pick-me-up on a cold autumn day!
INGREDIENTS METHOD • 750g pumpkin, peeled, seeded and cubed • 2 carrots, coarsely chopped • 2 onions, cut into wedges • 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil • 1 large potato, sliced • 1 litre water • 2 or 3 cubes chicken stock, crumbled • 250ml double cream • 1 1/4 tablespoons ground nutmeg, or to taste • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper • salt to taste
1. Preheat the oven to 220 C / Gas 7. 2. Place pumpkin, carrots and onions in a baking dish or roasting tin. Drizzle with vegetable oil. 3. Bake in preheated oven 40 minutes, until soft but not blackened. 4. In a large saucepan over medium heat, bring water and stock cubes to the boil. Cook potato in simmering water until soft, about 20 minutes. 5. Combine potato and water with roasted vegetables and blend until smooth. Return to pan over low heat and stir in cream, nutmeg, pepper and salt. Heat gently and serve! www.bgpmagazine.co.uk - 49
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alloween is a great excuse to d as your favourite super villian, pirate, vampire... the list is endles fun for us adults, it’s just as much people. Here are some of costumes fo
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7. Pirate costume, £12.50 - George at Asda 8. Girl’s Frankenstein costume, £10 - George at Asda 9. Boy’s Frankenstein costume, £10 George at Asda 10. Monster Boo costume, £19.99 - www. fancydress.com 11 & 12 Boy’s zombie costume and Girl’s Witch costume, available at Wilkinson from £5
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1. Hulk costume, £12.50 George at Asda 2. Vampire costume, £19.99 - www. fancydress.com 3. Lil Devil costume, £12.99 - www. fancydress.com 4. Scary Skeleton costume, £9.99 www.fancydress.com 5 & 6. Batman and Spiderman costumes available at Dunnes Stores from £22
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dress up , ghost, witch, ss! Whilst it’s h fun for little f our favourite or kids!
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