Santa’s Grotto proves popular

SANTA and his merry team of elves were welcomed by festive families for six days in the run-up to Christmas.

Hinckley BID opened the doors to a spectacular Santa’s Grotto, based at Hinckley Leisure Centre, in December.

Beautifully decorated to create a magical Winter Wonderland, the grotto saw a flurry of excited children arrive, who were all keen to meet the big man himself.

Steve Wegerif, from Hinckley BID, said: “The BID’s resident Santa, Nick Harrop, did a sterling job, finding time to chat and engage with everyone despite his incredible workload at this busy time of year!

“Of course, we must also mention the delightful elves who were bright and cheery and made the experience all the more memora- ble. This, and other BID events, are made possible through the BID levy paid by our wonderful town centre businesses, so a big thank you to them all. Another great reason to shop local!”

Visitors said that they were thrilled by the “magical” experience, with one saying: “(It was the) best grotto experience I’ve ever taken the children to.

“Additionally, Santa was just the loveliest, having lots of time for the children and the elves were so friendly and festive too.”

Over the six days the grotto was open, it welcomed 824 children who each received a special, age-appropriate gift.

Most children were accompanied by more than one parent or family member, all keen to enjoy Hinckley’s little piece of festive Wonderland. In all, there were more than 2,100 visitors to Hinckley.