This is a soppy post, and I mean soppy of the highest order, choked up, tears, the whole shebang.
Hubby and I went to the garden centre today to get the bird feeder I’d asked for for Christmas. The one he found was nearly £50, so definitely NOT the one I’d seen, but let me back track a bit.
Today is December 1st and unbeknown to us, the day that Santa’s Grotto opened at said garden centre.
Two visits ago, the place was in a right muddle with boxes of Christmas decorations and half erected trees everywhere.
Our last visit, as in when we had our carvery dinner, and it was transformed, with the entrance lobby and first showrooms awash with festivity and festive goods. It was wonderful, and I felt completely awestruck.
That paled into insignificance today.
From the moment we walked in it was magical, wondrous, enchanting, beautiful, fabulous and brilliant, moving me almost to tears. I have never in my entire life experienced anything like this, and apparently they put on exceptional displays here every year.
Very little of the inside space is undecorated now, and for any kid aged 2 to 90, it is like stepping into Wonderland. I just stood in the centre of it all and turned a full 360º very slowly to take it all in.
There were winter scenes, Nativity scenes, life-size angels, elves, snowmen, and one huge mechanical Father Christmas telling stories in one of the main showrooms. Excited kids were being led towards Santa’s Grotto and I wasn’t the only adult singing along to songs of yesteryear.
We could have spent a fortune today on lights for both inside and out, trees and ornaments including a fairy at almost £20, presents, toys, train sets, garden ornaments, though I did see a little something for Hubby and paid for it at the reception desk when he was looking at something else further in.
The music for once wasn’t loud and hip hop, but Christmas hits from the 50s and old musicals, none of which were vying for supremacy over the speakers as you walked through the store.
The tears almost came with the reindeer.
You’ll understand if you read the final paragraphs of this (I’ll wait)………………………..
Told you this was a soppy post…………………
Anyway, today I was serenaded by two reindeer.
OK they were mechanical and on a motion sensor, but they were so lifelike, I had to stop myself reaching over the fencing to stroke them.
If any child felt even a fraction of the magic I felt today, that thought warms my heart.
Note:
We did get a bird feeder today, it was in a different showroom and a third of the cost.
We got our fairy and some more tree decorations elsewhere as those here were way beyond our price range, however beautiful.
You didn’t make an offer for the reindeer? 🙂
Ha Colin. Somehow I don’t think they were actually for sale, but I could have had a little one I suppose. A good excuse to go back don’t you think? 😀
Absolutely. 🙂
*sniffle* How BEAUTIFUL! It’s rare too, so treasure it. Now a days it seems there is a slap dashed-ness about Christmas, maybe because they start it so damned early that it’s soiled and a bit stale by the time it actually GETS here! I bet those merchants get a LOT of business out of that display, but kudos to them for their efforts. When I was three someone brought a real live reindeer to a local department store for advertising (which was pretty unheard of in those long ago days…they did advertise, but it was low key and more tasteful to my way of thinking). My mother got snap shots of me petting the deer on the nose … it was a very gentle deer. Beautiful. So yes, you brought a wee tear to this old eye this morning.
They had reindeer in a stall in Boston Square (UK) a few years ago and I got to pet them.
No photos though. Maybe next time.
A sweet and magical day!
Lovely
❤️
Aww
It was wonderful
😊
We were at the garden centre this morning – Stewarts, Christchurch, also a wonderland, children visiting Father Christmas at ten am – so popular I think parents have to book an appointment. They have two real reindeer every year from their own herd!
Oh lucky lucky lucky! How wonderful.
Although sometimes it can be looked upon as coarse, tacky and commercialised the child within us all will out and if it brings joy then it has achieved it’s aim
True, but the magic was there for me today, probably because the last grotto I saw was such a tacky Grotty, Santa was far from jolly and for a tenner your kid got his picture taken receiving a bag of marbles. Rip off big time.
One can never outlive the magic of Christmas. I know, I’ve tried. But I still get that little twinge of excitement at times during the season. I think I’d like that garden center.
It was wonderful. I’ve never know anything like it.
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