This autumn, Main Character Club flung open the creaky gates on something brand new. Camp Spooky was our very first Halloween retreat, a few cosy days in Scotland where the costumes were wild and the friendships outlasted the face paint.
Nobody had done it before, so nobody quite knew what to expect. Now that the pumpkins have been picked and the last ghostie has gone home, we summoned some of the women who came along to tell the tale in their own words. Grab a hot chocolate and a blanket, Queen. It’s story time.
Photo: Megan Fischer
Chapter one, in which spooky season sends out its summons
For some of our heroines, the call came the moment Camp Spooky was announced. Megan remembers Gabby mentioning the idea in passing on an Armoury call, long before tickets went on sale. “I have an extreme love for all things fall so a camp surrounded on embracing the autumnal and spooky season seriously intrigued me,” she said. “There is something special about the type of people who love spooky season, and I had an inkling that I’d be amongst friends even if I hadn’t met most of them yet.”
Brenda gave up her annual girls’ trip to be there. “Camp Spooky screamed to me the second I saw it advertised,” she told us. She knew it would give her something unique while letting her be “100% unapologetically me for a few days.”
Kaitlin, who’d already been to Summer Camp and Main Character University, didn’t need much persuading. Her reasons came down to her love of all things MCC and, in her words, “LOOVEEE me some cosy, spooky vibes.”
And Fi almost didn’t make the journey at all. She’d been due on holiday the week before, so she didn’t book. Then, in a twist worthy of any good fairy tale, a space opened up in July and she threw caution to the wind. “I wanted to try something new, I wanted to meet new people, and I wanted to be in a place where I would feel supported and safe.”
Chapter two, in which a duck is stolen and chaos ensues
Every great quest has its legend. Some have dragons. Camp Spooky had a duck.
We won’t spoil all the lore (some things are just for the ones who were there), but ask anyone who went and you’ll get a knowing grin. Fi’s favourite memory was “Gabby chasing us all around the hall trying to get her duck back!” Kaitlin listed the duck chase among the highlights of the whole trip, and Megan says the group chat is still laughing about ducks weeks later.
If you know, you know. If you don’t, well, that’s what next time is for.
Photo: Megan Fischer
Chapter three, in which our heroines try to do absolutely everything
Camp Spooky was built so every guest could choose her own adventure. The schedule was packed with optional activities, and many of our heroines found themselves wanting to do the lot (sleep, it seems, is for mortals).
“I was surprised by how busy we were!” Kaitlin said. “I knew it was going to have optional activities, but I didn’t think I would want to do ALLLLL of them! They were just so fun, I couldn’t turn them down!”
Lavinia’s favourite moments included pumpkin picking, and she loved how much free time there was to mingle between activities. “I didn’t expect it, but it probably was the part that allowed for meeting and interacting with the other girls the best.”
For Rebecca, learning the group dance was the moment it all clicked. It was the first time the whole camp came together without little clusters of old friends, and everybody got gloriously silly. “I was laughing so hard, and I just love a good 8 count!”
Then there were the quieter nooks, perfect for a weary adventurer. Fi was delighted by the crafting stations dotted around camp, where you could curl up with a book or make friendship bracelets whenever you needed a breather. “It was great for some down time moments.” She also has a lovely memory that has nothing to do with the schedule at all. “Waking up in the mornings and hearing everyone laughing in the kitchen across the courtyard and just having the best time.”
Rebecca was a big fan of the morning journaling sessions too, and she’s not even a journaler. She found that a few minutes of reflection each morning helped her set an intention for the day ahead.
Chapter four, in which movie night gets a glow-up
Brenda went into movie night expecting pyjamas and a big telly in a living room. What she got was a full cosy cinema experience.
“The detail put into the movie night,” she said, was the thing that surprised her most. “The cozy cinema experience was tremendous.” It came a very close second to her favourite moment of the whole weekend, which brings us neatly to the grand finale. Cue the spooky organ music.
Chapter five, in which the dead come out to dance
The Afterlife Ball was the night every ghoul had been waiting for, and it did not disappoint.
Kaitlin couldn’t pick just one moment from it. She loved the photobooth and the tarot readings, but the real magic was in the atmosphere. “The squeals as girls unveiled their outfits. It was such a blast and so perfect.”
Megan went all in, dressed as a mad scientist with properly scary face paint to match. When the face painter warned she was doing nothing for her complexion, Megan just laughed. She wanted to embrace the spookiness. Then she danced until the witching hour and well beyond.
“I felt confident in myself and safe among all the ghosties in attendance,” she told us. “It was a feeling I wish I could bottle up and will hold dear for the rest of my life.”
Brenda named the party her favourite moment of the weekend, and Lavinia called the final ball amazing.
That’s the bit we love most. Confidence doesn’t always look like a big speech or a brave leap. Sometimes it looks like a woman in mad scientist face paint, dancing like nobody’s watching, surrounded by people who’ve got her back.
Chapter six, in which no detail is left to chance (or to the ghosts)
A good adventure lives or dies on the details (dies and comes back as a ghost, in this case), and our guests noticed every one.
Fi was full of praise for the planning. “Everything felt really well organised and well thought out,” she said. “The quality of everything, from the lovely jackets, to badges and food, was incredibly high quality, and I think the camp was well worth the money! It felt like every eventuality had been considered.”
Jules told us the trip was worth every penny, and that the feeling grew as the days went on. “It’s not easy to spend the cost of the trip on something for just ourselves,” she said. “But with each passing activity, moment and day, the attention to detail, thoughtfulness and everything included was just so, so worth it.” She came away with her cup full. “It felt like closure and a new beginning all in one.”
Brenda wanted to say a huge thank you to Gabby and the team. “They really did think of everything, and provided so many opportunities, fun and care.”
The only complaint we heard? Lavinia wished it had lasted longer. “It felt a bit short, I’d have loved for it to have an extra day.” We’ll take that as the highest compliment in the realm.
Photo: Megan FIscher
Epilogue, the whole tale in a single sentence
We asked each of our heroines to sum up Camp Spooky for someone who’d never heard of it. Consider these the official scrolls.
“Cosy, late 90s spooky craft weekend with the girls in a cabin in Scotland... with some dancing.” Kaitlin
“Like summer camp, or even a school trip, but everyone is friends, everyone is welcoming, set to the theme tune of the Addams Family.” Fi
“A whimsical celebration of girlhood, spooky season, and the freedom to embrace your delightfully weird side.” Rebecca
“A Halloween-based adventure that allows you to be your truest self while connecting with others and embracing autumnal energy.” Megan
“Relaxing Halloween themed all girls half-week.” Lavinia
“Like a summer camp for adults, but everything was themed around Halloween, fun crafting and the afterlife.” Brenda
As for us, we’ll go with this. Camp Spooky was a few days of being your most delightfully weird self, among women who’d cheer you on for it.
Fi called it a core memory. We’d go one further and call it lore.
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