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Scagtactics
Tam Shepherd's Trick Shop provides ghoulish opportunities for those wishing to dress up for Hallowe'en and have a truly hair-raising experience. Kirstin Innes goes behind the scenes of this century-old Glasgow institution
We picked the worst possible time ol the year to intcry'iew Julia Walton. lt's l2.3() on a Sunday alternoon. jtlst belorc Hallowe'en. and the door ol 'l‘am Shepherd's 'l'rick Shop is constantly jingling. ‘Yes. it‘s delinitely our busiest time.‘ .she says. while politely lielding enquiries about the .si/e ol their alros. 'llallow‘e'en has always been special in Scotland. hasn't it‘.’ I think we put more elloit into it.” Julia and her sister Sarah recently
took oyer the long-term running ol
the shop lrom their parents. but the business has been in the lamily' since the ll).‘~()s and in the same location. at the bottom ol (ilasgow‘s Queen Street. lor almost I It) years. ‘There was a real Tam Shepherd] \k'alton explains. 'and my great- gramllather. who was a magician touring the music halls. bought the shop lrom his widow when he died.‘ Perhaps because the shop has been in the lamily lor so long.
96 THE LIST 18 Oct—l NO. 200“
there‘s a palpable sense ol history and continuum about it. It‘s a tiny. dark. escitingly cluttered space with the shop lront window lilled
with a lnttssi\ e themed display til.
wigs and discmlmdied heads which blocks out the light. while the old glass cabinets crammed with joy bu//ers and lake rats might limit walking room but could keep you peering into them lor hours.
liancy wigs. detailed rubber
masks and a series ol shel\es dedicated to lalsc moustachcs jostle lor wall space with sepia-tinted lamily photographs. 'l’eople do haye a lot ol allection lor Us. maybe because we'\ e been here
‘THIS YEAR A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE DRESSING UP AS AMY WINEHOUSE’
l'or so long and we hayen’t really changed during that time. we get grandparents. w ho'd come in themselycs as kids. bringing their grandchildren in: one customer recently [Uld tls that he Used In spend his pocket money in here. and now here he was spending his pension. I also think you can usually count on us to haye really odd things that you won't get anywhere else. liyeryone always says: "Sorry. this is a really unusual request". but unusual requests are pretty normal l‘or us. We got a new range ol lake dog pm) in recently and at customer said to me. "()h. I like your new poosl" l was trying to imagine someone just wandering past and hearing that: I think we sometime lorget that our comersations aren‘t that normal.‘
Right now. ol course. the citstomers are here lor their Halloween costumes. '\\'e still do really well on langs and witch hats.
‘1‘";‘ it s i art; 1".” “ '. l '{ "
1) Devil on Fire. Angels Fancy Dress;
2) Pirate Elite. Jokers Masquerade;
3) Burlesque Basques. Prangsta Costumiers; 4) Red Corset. Prangsta Costumiers; 5) Robin Hood. Jokers Masquerade; 6) Body Bag. Angels Fancy Dress; 7) Zombie. Angels Fancy Dress
ol' course. but there are dillerent items that come into lashion e\et‘_\ llalloxu"en. 'l‘hls year. a lot Hl people are dressing up as .‘\lll'\ \Vineliouse and coming in here lor the huge black bcchiye. the tattoo sleeyc and the envy teeth'
The main character lroni (Ag/t Belly is also proy ing popular as are a lresh range ol' Michael Myers lilttslss with the new l/(IHHH'H'H Htll again. last year we had a whole Hallowe‘en-themed wedding to cater loll. recalls \Vallnn. "'lhe couple had been planning it lor years: the groom was dressed as l‘rankenstein's monster. the bride as Monicia Addams. and all the guests were instructed to dress up too. They didn't hayc their wedding list with Us. though. Actually. come to think til. it. we should start doing wedding lists. . . .
Tam Shepherd’s Trick Shop, 33 Queen Street, Glasgow, 0141 221 2310.