The Halloween house that has raised thousands for charity

Danny Hargreaves is marking Halloween by decorating his home with Ghostbusters' characters

Oscar Edwards
BBC Wales

A house in Cardiff has once again gone all out for Halloween, raising thousands for charity in the process.

Owner Danny Hargreaves has been setting up incredible displays since 2020, after the tradition started during the Covid pandemic.

He decided to go for a Ghostbusters theme this year with a "35ft marshmallow man" sitting in the drive.

"I'm a big fan of Halloween and being a special effects guy it's an opportunity showcase my skills," said Danny.

Danny said he has "always had an affiliation with Halloween" after growing up in the United States.

"Then lockdown happened and I was at home and I was a frustrated special effects guy," he said.

He first created a "really wild" Christmas display featuring a helicopter crashing into the side of his house in Llandaff.

He has since become known as the "decorator dude" who goes "crazy" at Halloween and Christmas.

"There is a big pressure there to make it bigger and better every year," he said.

A man holding a large pumpkin in front of a house decorated with Halloween merchandise. There are cobwebs, an inflatable car that featured in the Ghostbusters film and on the left a giant inflatable Marshmallow Man - the villain in the Ghostbusters movie.

Danny Hargreaves has been creating the display for five years and has no intention of stopping

He said it can get "pretty crazy" with people travelling from "all over" to see the display.

He had people visiting from as far as north Wales just to see the house earlier this week.

"You pull into my drive at night and you know there's 40-50 people.

"It's a nice atmosphere for myself, my wife and my daughter," he said.

The Halloween House with the Marshmallow Man on the left and a small child on an adults shoulders looking at the hose. The child is wearing an orange hat and orange jacket. There are people either side of them also looking at the house.

The marshmallow man from the Ghostbusters film is the prize decoration this year

Danny is the owner of a special effects company, which means that putting up the display is like "what I do during the day".

"I thought, why don't I use the skills that I use on set to raise money as if I'm running a marathon.

"So essentially, this is my marathon."

This year's display has been up for about 10 days and the visits have contributed to their increasing fundraising total for the Dreams and Wishes children's charity.

"I think we're just under £100,000 over the last five years," said Danny.

"Which is amazing. Thanks to everyone for their support."

Danny said he is unsure whether it is the best Halloween house in Wales, or even the UK but challenged people to find a better one.

"I mean, who else has got a house like this?"

"I've got a 35 foot marshmallow man, I have the fire station and I've got interactive special effects as well."

A QR code stuck to the wall outside the house with artificial cobwebs around it. The Halloween house can be seen in the background with people admiring the display.

Danny has raised thousands for charity as a result of his seasonal displays

Once Halloween is over, Danny's mind turns towards the next seasonal display.

"I've got to start thinking about Christmas," he said.

"We'll see what it brings. I need to give my family a bit of a break."

Danny said he has "great support" when creating displays.

"It's finding the time to do it, but I always find it."

Video filmed and edited by Johnny Brew

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