The fancy dress scene in England is growing more and more popular year by year, as people want to inject that extra bit of fun into parties rather than simply ‘dress smart’. Hen and Stag parties like to dress up and tend to visit cities with a renowned partying scene and make a weekend of it. People search on the internet or visit a travel agent to fix their group up with affordable accommodation for a couple of nights, and then paint the town red! In the north of England, Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester have vibrant club and rave scenes, and the party capital of the north west coast, Blackpool, is a popular destination too. In the Midlands Birmingham tends to be the magnet for partygoers. For people in the south, London and the West End prove popular, but Bournemouth and Brighton have great party reputations too. So if someone wants an idea for that fun costume or outfit, that will give their friends a laugh, where can they get it? And what should they get? There are fancy dress sites on the internet which you can browse, or you can find a joke or novelty shop in your own town that will do all the fancy dress you can think of, from the naughty nurse to the pirate costume. If you’re left short for time, a wig and mask can be a quick way to a party look. So what are the main themes favoured by people holding fancy dress parties at home? 60s, 70s, and 80s nights tend to be popular where music and costumes can go together. What about a pirates party, or vicars and tarts party if the people are extroverts! England’s party calendar starts — obviously! — on New Year’s Day, moves on to St Georges Day on April 23, in the Summer London hosts the Notting Hill Carnival attended by thousands of people, and then there’s Halloween in October, Fireworks/Bonfire Night on November 5, followed by Christmas parties in late December, and finally New Year’s Eve on December 31. But in England, birthdays, leaving dos or barbecues are all considered a great excuse to get out fancy dress gear!