Silver Breeze Jewellery has been crowned the winner of Newquay’s annual Halloween shop window display competition.

 The competition was arranged by Newquay Business Improvement District (BID) to help the town get into the spirit of Halloween during October half term and in the run up to the town’s Zombie Crawl. The judging panel was made up of Karen Hoyle (BID Chair), Mavis Warman (Newquay in Bloom / Trenance Heritage Cottages) and Althea Stevens from Newquay Business Club.

 Twenty-two local businesses took part across the town, substantially more than last year and BID hope to see that increase still further in the future. The competition was fierce, with some fabulously fiendish and eye-catching displays that really wowed the judges. Althea Stevens said she was “particularly impressed by the ingenuity and the inventiveness shown” by the entrants. Businesses ranged from Jackpot Amusements on Cliff Road, with a couple of spooktacularly dressed witches, to Save the Children, Newquay’s No.1 Book Stop, Cornwall Air Ambulance, Inspire and Slots Amusements on East Street. In Bank Street, Cornish Stone, Roly’s Fudge Pantry and The Cornish Sweet Shop made great efforts to add some bloodthirsty and deathly displays and Blue Reef Aquarium, First Kernow and Pirate’s Quest added a very ghoulish twist with skeletons and spiders galore. In Central Square, Martha’s Tea Room and IC Clothing gave passers-by lots to look at with their very creative windows. In Fore Street, the Wave Project, The Brew and Tattoo, Smile Surf Shop, Harbour Lights and Wet Dog Pizza Co. provided a great variety of Halloween spookiness, much appreciated by visitors to the town and locals alike.

In third place was Newquay Sea Safaris down at the harbour, with their piratically themed boat and ticket office: passengers on board the Atlantic Diver dressed up too and Captain Chris and First Mate Nicola thoroughly enjoyed welcoming them to the crew. In second place was ChouKette patisserie in Bank Street with a super display of chocolate spiders with marshmallow insides, and many more Halloween-inspired sweet treats.

Silver Breeze Jewellery took first place: the judges particularly commended the staff on their efforts in decorating the whole shop and the overall visual effect was stunning, from the enormous spider on the wall to the jewellery placed throughout the store and windows in skulls, skeletons and on sawn-off arms! The prize was £500 worth of advertising in the Newquay Voice.

 BID Chair Karen Hoyle said: “It was fantastic to see the great efforts that all the businesses had made – the creativity and resourcefulness displayed has definitely set the bar for future competitions and I very much look forward to the Christmas shop window displays”.

 Carla-Marie Jones, BID Manager said: ‘’We were really pleased we had so many entries for the competition and it really helped the town develop a vibrant Halloween atmosphere leading up to the Zombie Crawl and beyond. BID would like to thank every business that took part and to congratulate Silver Breeze for winning. The BID team are now planning the Christmas Shop Window Competition to create an atmosphere of festive cheer in the town in the run up to the Festive Festival on November 24^th: details of the competition will be announced shortly so watch this space!”

 For more information, contact info@newquaybid.co.uk or call Newquay BID directly on 01637 498599.