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Aaron got into the spirit early this year 鈥� he spent the weekend carving a pumpkin for his daughter, but was less than impressed by her reaction.

鈥淚 made the pumpkin thing and put it next to her bed, but every time she woke up it shocked the living daylights out of her and she wouldn鈥檛 stop crying,鈥� he laments.

This is unsurprising, Jane comments, as his daughter is only a few months old.

Most of the group seem to have their Halloween plans sorted: Catherine is taking her children trick or treating, and Jane says her daughter鈥檚 going to a party.

Dean, however, doesn鈥檛 have any children and is considering dressing up and going trick or treating alone.

What would he dress up as?

鈥淚f he made any effort it鈥檇 be a good idea!鈥� David cruelly jibes about Dean鈥檚 outfit, which appears to be perfectly normal. Dean looks wounded so David, suggests 鈥渢he cat of educational diplomacy鈥� 鈥� to go with his work on schools, apparently.

Halloween鈥檚 getting more popular in the UK, everyone agrees. Still, the US makes much more effort than we do. Jane says their San Francisco office go mad. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e based in near a shopping centre and they all dress up and go out with prizes and things,鈥� she says, with a gleam in her eye.

Unfortunately there will be no such shenanigans at the London office 鈥� but they are planning a bonfire in one of the meeting rooms, David says casually.

John is not impressed by the pyromaniacal humour. He鈥檚 also miffed about the fortnight of fireworks that鈥檚 about to commence, as it will annoy adults, scare children and send pets fleeing for safety.

鈥淲hy do people have to set them off every night?鈥� he grumbles. 鈥淚鈥檝e been trying to explain to Polish people about all the explosions and it鈥檚 quite difficult.鈥�

Catherine chips in gleefully. 鈥淵ou should just say people are trying to blow up the government!鈥�

As everyone mull over this point, the bar lights dim. Talk turns back to explosives and it emerged that John鈥檚 childhood contributed to his dislike for fireworks. 鈥淎s a kid you鈥檇 buy a box and not open it for a week,鈥� he recalls. 鈥淵ou鈥檇 think the rocket was going to be huge 鈥� but it was only this big,鈥� he says, with his palms a few inches apart.

鈥淚 know what you mean,鈥� agrees Aaron. Apparently the firework in question was called a snake. 鈥淚t was the most hopeless thing 鈥� it鈥檇 just burn into ashes鈥︹��

And the conversation continues about the relative merits of different fireworks, despite tonight鈥檚 silent sky 鈥�