Halloween 2011

There can't be many people that can boast of having a genuine ghost as their warm-up act, but Joseph Freeman did just that at the lavish joint Halloween & book launch party at his Suffolk mansion.

On arrival, guests were given a chilled kir royale and settled in the darkened library of the house to listen to a very real - and very eerie - recording of an actual investigation of a notorious haunted place. Suitably shaken, the poor folk then had to contend with the author himself, by candlelight, reading a terrifying chapter from his latest book 'The Lost & The Lonely'.

After this, all the guests moved through into the great hall and the party really got started. The whole place was lit by flickering candles, the music was provided by requiem masses and sinister choral arrangements, gothic horror movies played in the background. Grinning jack o'lanterns watched from the corners. Sparkling crystal jugs full of blood-red wine, tables laden with all manner of food from caviar to pumpkin pancakes. A candelelit shrine to the new books...

The beautiful and the beautifully-dressed guests availed themselves of the food and drink and numerous entertainments, as they talked, danced and spoke of hellish things. The manor house rang out to the sounds of wicked laughter and sinister voices. And a good time was had by all.