Halloween scare maze 'phenomenal' for dairy farm

11 hours ago

Lee Blakeman,BBC Radio Stokeand

Chloe Hughes,West Midlands

News image — The scare maze began at Caverswall Creamery three years ago

Caverswall Creamery A group of scare actors standing in a maize maze at night. One is dressed up as the cat in the hat, there is a clown, a bloody faced pig, a pale white nun, and ghostface. — The scare maze began at Caverswall Creamery three years ago

Among tall stalks of maize on a farm in Staffordshire, scare actors lurk around corners, ready to terrify members of the public this Halloween.

The scare maze, at Caverswall Creamery in Stoke-on-Trent, is a relatively new seasonal event, having only started three years ago.

However, its success is essential to the farm's income - bringing in thousands of visitors to celebrate all things spooky.

"We did need to diversify, we couldn't carry on with what we were doing with the dairy farming," said Dave Moseley, who runs the site with his four sons.

Moseley said visitor numbers had increased year-on-year, but this year in particular had been "phenomenal".

"The first weekend we did it we just couldn't believe how many people came, there were queues for nearly two-and-a-half hours to get into the scare maze.

"It's worked, its been brilliant for us."

A bald man with a black long sleeved jumper on, and a black gilet. In white writing on its breast it says Caverswall Creamery — Dave Moseley has worked at the farm for 23 years

The dairy farm started its diversification by launching the creamery - selling milkshakes and eggs from the farm itself.

Then the family turned to seasonal activities, first starting with a pumpkin patch, before creating a maze made from maize the following year.

"Then we had this idea of doing a scare maze and it's just took off from there, it's been phenomenal," said Moseley.

Caverswall Creamery Two scare actors in a wooden structure outside in a maize maze in the dark. One is dressed as a black gorilla. The other is wearing a black skull-like mask, with black and green overalls splattered with fake blood. He is holding an orange chainsaw — Jim Moseley (right) dresses up as his character, "mad farmer Jim"

On working with his sons, Moseley said: "They're all actors in the maze, some of their friends are actors in the maze, I pay them - so it brings income to them."

"They really enjoy it, we have a lot of fun doing it.

"We do it for business but we do really enjoy it as well."

Eldest son, Jim, dresses up as "mad farmer Jim" - a character in the maze that jumps out at people wielding a chainsaw.

"It's good fun, I come out and everyone runs, and normally ends up in a pile covered in mud."

"It's massive - from the first year we'd have nights with a couple of hundred people and now we're talking in the thousands… it's insane, the growth is.

"I wouldn't change it for anything, farming is not a job, it's a way of life."

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