A new pop-up shop, which has just opened in the Dundas Indoor Market in Middlesbrough, provides everything you need to dress up this Halloween – plus a little bit more.
The Hellraisers Halloween store is full of pretend blood, contact lenses to make your eyes any colour you want, safe but scary fake weapons of murder, and masks and costumes celebrating horror heroes from Dracula to Chucky.
It also sells licensed Star Wars and Marvel Superhero outfits, boiler suits from the TV classic Breaking Bad and even a couple of Donald Trump masks.
But, although though this year’s Halloween looks set to coincide with Brexit, there are no plans just yet to cater for anybody wishing to go to a party on the 31st dressed as Boris Johnson.
Hellraisers Halloween in Dundas is one of four pop-up shops opening in the Tees Valley. There will be others in Eston, Redcar and Darlington.
They are the idea of local businessman Shaun Wilson who is being helped by Alan Oliver. Alan will be on hand in the shop in the Indoor Market throughout the month to provide expert advice.
“We’ve got everything to suit different pockets and tastes,” he said. “Some of the items we sell are of film quality and many of the costumes are more like clothes and made to last.
“You might think a Star Wars stormtrooper outfit isn’t really Halloween, but people put some blood on it and go to the party as a zombie.
“There’s been a lot of interest already, but people tend to leave it to the last few days. Halloween is obviously getting bigger and bigger and I think it’s already overtaking Bonfire night.”
Hellraisers Halloween plans to stay open into November and is one of two seasonal new pop-up shops in the Dundas Indoor Market. The other one – Baby Beautiful – could not be more different.
It sells handmade Reborn Baby Dolls and their accessories, such as Moses Baskets. Baby Beautiful is a family business which, since 2017, has had a temporary shop in Dundas in the run up to Christmas.
“The dolls are real collectors’ items,” said seamstress Trid Bailey, a member of the family, who will be working in the shop. “They’re made from scratch and they take a long time. That’s why they look so lifelike.”
Dundas Indoor Market manager David Harris said one of the unique characteristics of the market was the diverse range of products and services it provides.
“You would be pushed to think of two such contrasting businesses, but that’s the appeal of a place like this. We’ve got some fantastic traders who’ve been here for many, many years and then the pop-up seasonal shops like Hellraisers Halloween and Baby Beautiful. That’s why it’s always worth a visit because you never know what you’re going to find,” he said.
