The Guardian
22 December 2007
Santa of Tunbridge Wells
Why fork out a small fortune on a family trip to Lapland when you can visit Mr Claus in his winter wonderland off the A21?
Christmas came early to our house this year. It arrived in mid-November with the delivery of a parchment-style letter sealed with red wax. The letter was addressed to our daughter and it came by Reindeer Express. Ciara was seriously impressed.
Every parent wants to give their child a perfect Christmas, but I have yet to meet anyone who has forked out the 1,500 quid or so needed to transport their loved ones to Father Christmas's winter wonderland in Lapland proper.
So it came as no surprise to learn that just a few weeks after it was announced in September, Lapland UK had sold out almost as quickly as the Spice Girls at the O2.
Ciara gets to meet some real husky dogs This is precisely what we'd all been waiting for: spritely elves beavering away in a toy factory, in a forest of snow-covered pines, with reindeer and husky dogs, and finally the magical audience with Santa in his little woodland home. A little bit of dream weaving - only in Kent rather than Kiruna.
What greeted us was a village square in a forest clearing with a giant Christmas tree at its centre. There were people dressed in traditional Sami costume, while the roofs of the log cabins selling food and mulled wine were laden with (fake paper) snow, and the trees were dusted with icing and glowing in a pearly, dreamlike light. I heard a sharp intake of breath and then watched Ciara's eyes widen as she attempted to take it all in.
Everyone should have the chance to visit Lapland UK, and there is talk of a much bigger site for next year.
What I particularly liked was the lack of Disneyfication - this was an altogether calmer, saccharin-free affair.
Finally we were ushered from the holding tent to a seat outside Santa's wooden house, while one of the elves went in to check whether Ciara was in his good books or bad books. The suspense was killing her. But I'm not about to spoil the illusion of what it's like inside Father Christmas's house, or what was said between them - just in case you are a believer. Ciara placed her order and looked delighted as she skipped back to the car.
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