Lothertons Xmas Event a bit of a let down

Lotherton Halls Christmas Event adverts and its 12 days of Christmas walk immediately draws comparisons with Stockeld parks long established walk.

There the comparisons end though as what LCC have put together for the 12 installations are generally poor and lacking in imagination, sound or light. The woods around the Hall don’t have the same intensity or darkness either of Stockeld, it just doesn’t work here. For example the Lords-a-leaping are represented by static figures that neither move nor light up, Neither do they pipe. Each of the 4 calling birds down to the Partridge in a pear tree can be easily missed up in trees with no colour light or sound to attract.

There are some “Have-a-go” type stalls to represent certain days but there are set for older children than ours and were crowded with adults anyway as we approached.

Earlier we had visited the Elfs workshop and that was a good session where the children, with help could make a little reindeer feed to leave out on that most important night.  It’s a fun little hands on experience and is the precursor to visiting Santa. There is a little diversion in the form of sing along Christmas songs and letters to Santa and then it’s in to see the big man. Authentic? well he looked the part, age, whiskers, coat. He engaged well enough with our little one. As seems to be trend this year, presents seem a bit generic and poor. Thin books or teddy bears, Joe got the bear and to be honest he likes it as it was given to him by Santa.

Overall, was it worth it? Well to get into the grounds, Adults must purchase an estate entry at £5.50, children under 4 are free. Then for the Elf workshop and Santa it’s another £9.95 for the child only so just over £20. Personally I would rather have paid the tenner and let Joe do the Elf Village and Santa, it would have been better value.

This is Lothertons first Christmas event and in my opinion needs a rethink should it choose to go again in 2017.