“Where’s Santa? Is he here yet?” I’m shouting out of the window of my car at a bloke at the entrance of Willow Hill Nursery in Fahan. “He’s not here yet, we’re expecting a lot of people, so if you want to go up the road to the chapel and get parked there’s a bus service running every couple of minutes to get you back here.” He is silhouetted against the glare of an extremely powerful set of floodlights that they must have got from the GAA.
I’m here to see Santa officially open Willow Hill’s Winter Wonderland Fairy Grotto. This magical experience is open at certain times on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Christmas. Now I don’t like buses much at the best of times, as I feel I lose my independence to come and go from places, so I ignore the man directing the traffic and park my 16 year old Nissan so tightly into the verge that the driver’s side wheels sink into the soft ground. I manage to get the car free and squeeze out of the door, getting brambled in the process, just as the full shuttle bus drives past me and pulls up in front of the well-lit entrance.
I walk into the sales area where a festive Dermott Walker dressed as an elf is trying to give change to customers who are paying in advance for their children to see the man in red and white. “We’re waiting for Santa to come and switch the lights on,” says the jolly but flustered elf, as he asks people to check their change “I think it’s ten euro but it might only be a fiver,” he cautions.
IT’S MAGIC
There are a lot of people turning up and anticipation is high, the entrance might be lit up like a football match but the garden centre itself is in darkness. Even in the darkness you can feel the excitement. It’s starting to rain too, but that isn’t putting anyone off as the fire engine siren is heard in the distance. There is a surge forward as the bright red fire engine crawls into the car park with a very smiley Santa in the passenger seat. As the machine comes to a stop he jumps out with a big Ho, Ho, Ho! and starts throwing boiled sweets up into the air for the youngsters to head butt as they come down to earth. As if by magic it stops raining as Dermott quickly leads the corpulent VIP to the “on” switch to get the lights working. “I now declare this grotto open” says Santa as he clicks on the power. “Oooooooh!” the crowd go appreciatively
The trees light up in a myriad of different colours. Polar bears and snowmen illuminate the garden centre. We also have a real live donkey in the corner of the site that looks to be very happy with the attention it’s getting now that the children can see it.
GROWING CHILDREN
Jackie has opened up the Grotto that has been built in her new polythene tunnel. The first thing that seems to be growing in it is the excitement of the children as they start queuing to see the big man. It’s surprisingly warm in the tunnel and Jackie and the team have been working hard to get the stage set up with a really cosy front room feel for Santa to greet the eager kids. I bump into Jackie as I walk into the tunnel. “We thought about this a couple of months ago and the idea just snowballed.” She says.
I use my powers as a writer for a local newspaper to squeeze my way through the crowd and get first in the queue to see Santa. “I’m taking photos.” I say to a couple of lads looking very displeased with this big grown up pushing in. Inside the grotto it’s actually very peaceful and Paul is there to take photographs of the meetings. “I’m here until Christmas.” He tells me just before he accidentally calls Santa “dad.” No- one notices so it’s down to business. Santa is fantastic, his personality and manner are everything you would expect, especially when the younger children can be so nervous. He is really putting everyone at ease.
CHRISTMAS PLANTERS
I think it’s time for me to wander about and let the youngsters have their fun, so it’s off to the display area of winter shrubs and planters. Even in the glow of the coloured lights I can see enough to know that the displays are looking better than ever this year and I am pleased to see that there are no spray painted heathers in sight. All of the plants look healthy and natural. Well-planted containers are a must for the doorway at Christmas, and all that is needed are a few hardy plants like an aucuba rhododendron or skimmia. The plants don’t even need flowers; berries and leaves are often bright enough to cheer you up on a dull day.
As expected, the queue is long for Santa. The kids have been very patient, but its time for me to go and slide my car out of the drainage ditch. I have just remembered as I walk out of the gate that I didn’t see the Giant LED teddy; it’s supposed to be the biggest in Ireland. That’s reason enough for me to come back next week.
Photo: Santa with Jackie, his little elf helper.
I’m here to see Santa officially open Willow Hill’s Winter Wonderland Fairy Grotto. This magical experience is open at certain times on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until Christmas. Now I don’t like buses much at the best of times, as I feel I lose my independence to come and go from places, so I ignore the man directing the traffic and park my 16 year old Nissan so tightly into the verge that the driver’s side wheels sink into the soft ground. I manage to get the car free and squeeze out of the door, getting brambled in the process, just as the full shuttle bus drives past me and pulls up in front of the well-lit entrance.
I walk into the sales area where a festive Dermott Walker dressed as an elf is trying to give change to customers who are paying in advance for their children to see the man in red and white. “We’re waiting for Santa to come and switch the lights on,” says the jolly but flustered elf, as he asks people to check their change “I think it’s ten euro but it might only be a fiver,” he cautions.
IT’S MAGIC
There are a lot of people turning up and anticipation is high, the entrance might be lit up like a football match but the garden centre itself is in darkness. Even in the darkness you can feel the excitement. It’s starting to rain too, but that isn’t putting anyone off as the fire engine siren is heard in the distance. There is a surge forward as the bright red fire engine crawls into the car park with a very smiley Santa in the passenger seat. As the machine comes to a stop he jumps out with a big Ho, Ho, Ho! and starts throwing boiled sweets up into the air for the youngsters to head butt as they come down to earth. As if by magic it stops raining as Dermott quickly leads the corpulent VIP to the “on” switch to get the lights working. “I now declare this grotto open” says Santa as he clicks on the power. “Oooooooh!” the crowd go appreciatively
The trees light up in a myriad of different colours. Polar bears and snowmen illuminate the garden centre. We also have a real live donkey in the corner of the site that looks to be very happy with the attention it’s getting now that the children can see it.
GROWING CHILDREN
Jackie has opened up the Grotto that has been built in her new polythene tunnel. The first thing that seems to be growing in it is the excitement of the children as they start queuing to see the big man. It’s surprisingly warm in the tunnel and Jackie and the team have been working hard to get the stage set up with a really cosy front room feel for Santa to greet the eager kids. I bump into Jackie as I walk into the tunnel. “We thought about this a couple of months ago and the idea just snowballed.” She says.
I use my powers as a writer for a local newspaper to squeeze my way through the crowd and get first in the queue to see Santa. “I’m taking photos.” I say to a couple of lads looking very displeased with this big grown up pushing in. Inside the grotto it’s actually very peaceful and Paul is there to take photographs of the meetings. “I’m here until Christmas.” He tells me just before he accidentally calls Santa “dad.” No- one notices so it’s down to business. Santa is fantastic, his personality and manner are everything you would expect, especially when the younger children can be so nervous. He is really putting everyone at ease.
CHRISTMAS PLANTERS
I think it’s time for me to wander about and let the youngsters have their fun, so it’s off to the display area of winter shrubs and planters. Even in the glow of the coloured lights I can see enough to know that the displays are looking better than ever this year and I am pleased to see that there are no spray painted heathers in sight. All of the plants look healthy and natural. Well-planted containers are a must for the doorway at Christmas, and all that is needed are a few hardy plants like an aucuba rhododendron or skimmia. The plants don’t even need flowers; berries and leaves are often bright enough to cheer you up on a dull day.
As expected, the queue is long for Santa. The kids have been very patient, but its time for me to go and slide my car out of the drainage ditch. I have just remembered as I walk out of the gate that I didn’t see the Giant LED teddy; it’s supposed to be the biggest in Ireland. That’s reason enough for me to come back next week.
Photo: Santa with Jackie, his little elf helper.
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