Clapham Costume Accessories Shop: Party and Celebrate

Party and Celebrate is the family party shop at 274 Lavender Hill, a few minutes uphill from Clapham Junction station in south west London. Most of the year it is the place locals go for helium balloons, banners and birthday tableware, but in the last fortnight of October the front of the store turns into a Halloween costume accessories shop, with walls of wigs, rubber masks, horns, hats and fake blood. Prices start at a couple of pounds, and the shop has published longer opening hours for the week before Halloween.

The company behind the shop describes itself plainly on its own website: Party and Celebrate Ltd, registered company number 10197984, was formed in 2016 and is a family business with a long history in the party and entertainment business. On Yelp the same store appears under the name Party Superstores, which is why you may see two names for one shopfront when you search the street.

Lavender Hill is Battersea's main high street, a long run of independent cafes, charity shops, estate agents and takeaways climbing east from the railway junction. The party shop fits that mix well. Parents come in for a child's birthday, office managers for leaving-do balloons, and in late October almost everyone who walks through the door is hunting for one finishing touch for a costume they have half built at home.

The website greets October visitors with a banner that reads "It's Scary Halloween Time Again!", and the homepage also runs a Reduced To Clear section where Halloween pieces are marked down from their original prices. Several of the masks and wigs below come from that list, so the bargains change as stock sells through. Staff are used to helping customers choose between similar wigs and masks.

The mask range is the strongest part of the Halloween stock. The original Scream mask, the one from the films, costs £12.99, and it is still the fastest costume in London if you already own a black robe. The devil mask is reduced to £12.99 from £24.99, and the growling werewolf mask is down to £14.99 from £29.99. Both are full over-the-head latex pieces, so expect them to be warm after an hour in a crowded pub.

For something lighter, the gas mask in black and yellow is £8.99 and works for a post-apocalyptic look with a boiler suit. The light-up Joker clown mask has been cut to £5.99 from £14.99, a cheap way to make a group photo look properly unsettling in the dark. If you plan to wear a mask all night, choose one with good eye holes and practise drinking through it before you leave home.

Wigs are where a home-made costume suddenly becomes recognisable. The long curly black rockstar wig costs £14.99, and the black and white Cruella wig is also £14.99, a natural partner for a fur coat from a charity shop further down the hill. The black side-bunches doll wig is reduced to £6.99 from £12.99 and turns a plain dress into a creepy doll costume with little effort.

Buy a mesh wig cap at the same time. A single black cap costs £1.69 and keeps your own hair flat, so the wig sits straight and does not slide when you dance. Pin the cap with a few hair grips, put the wig on from front to back, and comb the fibres with your fingers rather than a brush.

Small accessories cost even less. The tall gothic top hat with a cross is listed at £5.99, the black and silver demon horns are £6.99, and the black cat kit with ears, tail and a bow tie is £4.99. A bloody dripping choker costs £2.50 and is a quick way to make an ordinary black outfit look like a vampire victim.

The make-up shelf covers most horror effects. A 50ml tube of Snazaroo dark blood gel is £4.99 and stays thick on the skin for cuts and bite marks. A pack of four blood capsules is £2.50, for the moment at a party when you want blood to run from your mouth. For clothes, the 75ml blood spray costs £3.99, and liquid latex for fake skin and peeling wounds is £2.99.

Do a patch test on the inside of your arm the day before, especially with latex, and keep blood products away from pale sofas and white trainers. Warm soapy water removes most of it from skin. Bite capsules only when the camera is ready, because the effect lasts just a few seconds.

The shop has published extended Halloween week hours on its website: Monday 26 October to Friday 30 October, 9am to 8pm. Those longer evenings are the best chance to shop after work without a queue at the till. If you can, come on the Monday or Tuesday, when the wall of masks is still full and the most popular wigs have not sold out.

The website also lists its rules for the busiest days. From Wednesday 28 October to Saturday 31 October the balloon and inflation section is closed to make space for the Halloween range, though balloons and helium cylinders can still be bought in advance. Phones are not answered on peak days because every member of staff is on the shop floor, and prams, buggies and scooters are not allowed inside during busy periods for safety. Plan to leave the pushchair with someone outside if you shop with a toddler that week.

Online orders are an option if you cannot get to the shop. Standard UK delivery takes two to three working days and costs £7.95, and next day delivery is £14.95 if you order by 1pm. Unused online purchases can be returned for a refund within 14 days of delivery.

After shopping, walk east along Lavender Hill towards Battersea Arts Centre, the grand Victorian former town hall that is now one of London's best known experimental theatres. Its cafe bar is a comfortable place to sort your bags, and the building's design is worth a look on its own.

Heading the other way, the road drops down to Clapham Junction station and St John's Hill. Northcote Road, a short walk south through the side streets, is lined with independent food shops, delis and pubs, and makes a good stop for dinner before a party. The Arding and Hobbs building at the corner of Lavender Hill and St John's Road, a large Edwardian department store with a domed corner, is the landmark that tells you the station is close.

Party and Celebrate is at 274 Lavender Hill, Clapham Junction, London SW11 1LJ, the address on its own contact page, although some local directories list it as 268 Lavender Hill. The nearest station is Clapham Junction, served by Overground and many National Rail lines. Prices quoted here come from the shop's website. Ask Karpo in the Karpo APP for other Battersea food and drink ideas before your party.