Aah but that is a tame house trained tarantula, probably a bit of a softie.
Unlike a free range, feral tarantula hiding (and simultaneously lurking) in a carefully concealed web, just waiting to skitter out as your face hits its web.
The stuff of nightmares.
I think it's their Ma who is the problem. Last night I'm in the bathroom with Ben (youngest) brushing his teeth. Next thing I can hear hysterical screaming coming from downstairs, I thought they were being attacked. Adam comes haring up the stairs, gives me a laptop charger and sprints past me. Jo runs half way up the stairs, screaming is it there, is it there? I throw the charger downa nd I'm asking what the fuck is going on? They both say they've seen this black insect, no idea what it was, but its terrified them. I asked how big it was, Jo holds her fingers apart, we are talking 8 inches - Adam says it had pincers and antenna. I go grab a torch, look around the living room, no sign of this beast. Pulls the couches out, checks under the telly, in the kitchen, nothing. Then they tell me she got Adam to put the lights on and it legged it towards him and they think it went out the door.
I go into the hall and I spot this thing on the stairs - its some thick cotton strap about 8 inches long, off some clothing or something, with a big strand of cotton trailing up the stairs, stuck to the velcro on the laptop charger. Daft bastards had dragged it about the room as they ran in terror.