We caught up with the team from Parks, Scares and Glitter (PSG) for an interview over on their website. We have now had the opportunity to ask the team a few questions ourselves. See what they had to say below.
Who are Parks, Scares and Glitter? Tell us a bit about yourselves.
Dom: I’m the lesser known member of PSG purely because I tend to hide away behind the computer screen doing the day to day running of the social media accounts and website. I’m not a scare actor and have come into the scare game purely as someone who appreciates them for the pieces of art they are. I would say I’m more the theme park side of PSG over the scare side as I am a bit of wimp for the more extreme stuff that the others do. I’m scared of fish, so a Sealife centre is my idea of hell.
Amber: I’m more well known out of the team but I do more on the scare side of the page. I go to lots of attractions, escape rooms, immersive theatre and scream parks. I do lots of reviews and updates for the page. (When I remember) I’m a scare actor and really love and appreciate scare attractions and the effort and time put into them. I would say I’m the braver out the 3 of us but I’m a complete mess and a scaredy-cat when in attractions.
I do this because I love this industry and the whole community and family feel. I’ve met and made so many friends through this page and by going to events. My idea of hell is a complete gore attraction. I hate it I can’t watch many horror films for that reason. Fun fact I can jump at anything including bushes.
Dan: Im 29 and the other Gay of PSG. I started going through scare mazes at back in 2013. But I have had a love of theme parks that traces back to age 4 seeing the Nemesis advert on TV. Growing up I was a big coaster gamer starting back on Roller Coaster Tycoon and at the age of 29 im still gaming but moved to Planet Coaster. I have a strong love for scare attractions but even more the immersive and extreme end of the genre.
I was a scare actor for 3 years for Xtreme Scream Park working in Stilton Hall as Cedric DeMort the Psychopath of Stilton Hall but most notably and more recognised as The Dark Reverend Bloodhusk in The Village including
Pagan: I’m the newest member of PSG. I’m basically the chauffeur for the Nottingham and north events. I’ve acted for adverts, films and live events, more recently getting into the immersive theatre side of the scare industry. On both sides, performing and experiencing.
What was your inspiration for the website?
Dom: The inspiration for PSG came from me wanting to try to get experience in social media to help the team at TowersTimes/SouthParks (TTSP) when I was on their team. It started out as a theme park page mainly but then Amber came along and we decided to focus more on the scare side as opposed to the theme park side. Amber started to do more things with Dan and it seemed like the right thing to do to invite Dan to join us. This is when we started to embrace our pride side more too. Again, it was a move that felt natural. And now with Pagan having joined us, the family is growing!
Amber: I’m not the main inspiration for the page. Dom set it up and I was asked if I would join him with it. I do it for the love of our page and so more people know about scares and theme parks. I know a fair bit about the scare world and adore it. Then we kinda started growing in the past few months with Dan and Pagan doing more stuff with me and Dom. It made sense for them to join our small PSG family.
How did you come up with the name? What didn’t make it?
Dom: The name came from my ego. It was basically the three things I liked when I started, theme parks, scare attractions and glitter. If I was to do it to now it would probably be parks, scares and food.
Amber: I’ve no idea how we came up with the name, I think it the parks is for theme parks, scares for the scare bits and glitter because we all love glitter I’ve no idea now, it’s been so long. Also Dom’s ego haha.
When did Parks Scares and Glitter start?
Dom: I don’t actually remember. A point in time that is probably highly embarrassing if I ever looked back as the content and posts would be total cringe!
Amber: I’ve absolutely no idea when it started it’s been too long and I actually can’t remember.
What motivates you to keep the blog going?
Dom: I guess for me, I like to think we help people escape from reality for five minutes and give them something that will stir emotions, be them happy, sad, angry. Writing has always been an enjoyment for me, so I get a buzz out of writing the blog posts anyway. We may switch from blog posts and reviews, but each brings something different and, hopefully, interesting to the table.
Amber: I guess for me I actually enjoy writing and doing the updates. I like being creative with my reviews too so they are different from others as well and I also like to be quite detailed. Also it’s for the enjoyment of the people reading and seeing the updates. If it helps them escape and get excited that’s my job done and I’m happy with that and that’s the best reward for me.
What Scare Attraction are you most looking forward to this Halloween season?
Dom: Too many to count, but I’m intrigued by Wasteland Penitentiary and The Wreckoning at Tulleys Shocktoberfest this year and it will be great to finally do my first visit to Fear at Avon Valley!
Amber: That’s a really tough question but I might have to choose two. I’m looking forward to Thorpe Park’s new maze Creek Freak Massacre because it looks awesome and intriguing
Dan: OK I’m really looking forward to the Paradise Foundation at
Freak Creek Massacre – With Thorpe stating it’s most intense maze ever, this is really intriguing to see where they take this attraction.
Project42 – last year 42 was a really strong maze and knowing who is now also on the cast line up, 42 can only go from strength to strength. Plus I love having a maze in Forbidden Valley as it starts to feel like Scarefest ties in with other areas of the
Pagan: The scare attraction I’m most looking forward to is Scare Kingdom. One – because I haven’t had chance to experience Psychomanteum yet, and Two – because it seems to be the only scare attraction I will now get to visit due to me acting in Alton Towers this season.
Image courtesy of Horrify Me 
After reviewing attractions for a number of years, what has been your favourite scare attraction? What was it about it that you liked?
Dom: I like so many for different reasons. So hard to pick just one. I’m going to choose Coven of 13 at Tulleys Shocktoberfest. The swamp scene is incredible. It’s done in a very clever way and every time I do that attraction I’m always blown away by it. The story has also been strong for it and the theming on it is quirky yet effective and just works. Plus I like witches. I’m really excited about getting to do it again this year after a year off. But having said that, having just come back from Liseberg, Hotel Gaston is also high on the list due to the incredible sets it has!
Amber: This is another tough one but a few of my all-time favourite scare attractions has to be Experiment 10 and Asylum at Thorpe Park and Anarchy Live at Fear at Avon Valley. I absolutely loved those mazes. It was the chaos of them and the intensity that I loved about them. Also, these first two are my first ever scare mazes I experienced as well and I love mazes that are intense, that you genuinely feel part of the attraction and take you right into the attraction.
Dan: My fave maze is stuck between two. The Village will always have such a strong place in my heart for obvious reasons but my all-time fave maze will always be The Sanctuary. Everything about it was a key time for Scarefest for me, The nods to MK Ultra and Clockwork Orange really sold the maze to me plus the Marmalisation chamber was something different that we seem yet to have seen done in another way since.
When did you visit your first Scare Attraction and what was it and what got you hooked?
Dom: Honestly, I used to absolutely hate scare attractions. I got dragged into Saw Alive, Asylum and Experiment 10 during a visit to Fright Nights, which I had attended purely for the night rides, and came out nearly crying. After that, I had never stepped foot inside one again until about four or five years ago when some friends from TTSP decided to help me overcome it. They let me scream and grab them and I slowly began to enjoy them. A year later, I was convinced to do the face it alone at Thorpe Park and have never looked back.
Amber: My first ever scare attraction was in 2010, Thorpe Park Fright Nights and it was Saw Alive. Now until this point, I completely put off going into them as they terrified me. But I got dragged into Saw and it was amazing, I loved it. Then I managed all of Thorpe’s mazes that evening and that was it, I got hooked. The main reason I got hooked even more and got into the scare acting side too was Thorp’s brave it alone (praying they come back this year). This was my first ever proper intense versions of mazes and it’s addictive, the buzz you get from going through an attraction alone and to this day they hold a special place in my heart. As every run I went through was unique every time and the memories still follow me now. I had my own grave in platform 15 who would have thought.
Dan: Not surprising my strongest was also my first, The Sanctuary. It was back in the March before The Smiler’s opening, that one
Pagan: The first scare attraction that I visited would be Sub Species from Towers in 2016. Never experienced anything like it, and I honestly nearly broke down in a corner and cried. The range of emotion
What’s your favourite Scare Attraction memory?
Dom: My favourite is during a face it alone at Thorpe Park. Amber and I were doing Cabin in the Woods. All I actually remember from it was being put behind the monster screen and told to do a sexy dance as Amber was shoved up against the screen. Her being smooshed on the glass while I was thrusting was memorable
Amber: I’ve got so many memories but one that sticks out the most for me was when I went to Farmaggedon. This was my first ever visit to the park and it was brilliant, but one maze stood out the most to me for multiple reasons. It was the clown 3D one I can’t remember the name of the attraction it’s still their now. But I don’t do 3D so I was not wearing the glasses. Anyway barely through the maze and my friends Tim and James start shouting my name and I was already terrified and screaming at this point. The actors picked up on this straight away and what followed was one of my most insane and intense maze runs I’ve had. They picked up on my name and everything I meet keeps saying it, they were blocking me off and separating me from my friends,
Dan: Maybe if I can class this as one, My first proper game of HVRTING, With so much anticipation to go through a show, my lord did it deliver. It had such and impact on me to create my own game with our very own Amber as my enforcer and to have the logo tattooed on my neck.
Pagan: My favourite scare attraction memory is when I was
Is there anything else you would like us to know about you or Parks Scares and Glitter?
Dom: We just want to wish everyone a good Halloween season. We hope the actors stay safe and scary and always grab us for selfies if you see us. We love a good selfie.
Amber: I just want to wish everyone a good Halloween season, to the guests, fans and visitors, have a blast and don’t be a pain to actors or guests and to my actors stay safe and scare the crap out of me when you see us. I can’t wait to be
Dan: If there’s one thing I can say about PSG is family and support. Since joining PSG the support to do well as a reviewer as well as support outside of the reviewing has been immense. We might not be the most well known or biggest brand but we are strong for one another and we do what we do because we love Parks, Scares and Glitter. We support the LGBTQIA community with pride as well as the immersive/extreme end of the spectrum, Some might not like this form of entertainment but I think we all agree here , As long as it’s safe..All forms of scare are valid.
A huge thank you goes out to the team over at Parks, Scares and Glitter for taking the time to answer our questions. With
Parks, Scares and Glitter can be found on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter give them a follow to keep up to date with there antics this Halloween season and beyond.
