Santa Claus has come to town – and hundreds of excited children turned out to see him in Lindley and Shelley.
Armitage’s Garden Centres held their annual parade with Father Christmas and real reindeers through the two areas as part of their countdown to Christmas.
Among the children excited to see Santa was four-year-old William Thompson, who said: “I was happy to see him because I fell asleep when he came to my house last year so I missed him.”
William’s mum, Laura, of Outlane, said: “It’s a great event. I think the best bit is seeing the excited faces of so many children who begin to get excited for the first time.”
Having the privilege of riding on Santa’s sleigh alongside the reindeers were five-year-old Neive Habib, from Edgerton, and nine-year-old Chloe Moorhouse, from Clayton West, who won the Kirkwood Hospice Share A Card scheme.
The girls both designed the festive cards which Kirkwood sends out to companies as part of a festive fundraising drive.
Chloe rode with Santa in the Shelley village parade to Armitage’s Pennine Garden Centre, while Neive joined the Lindley town centre trip to the Birchencliffe garden centre.
Their designs have been made into A4 cards which annually help to raise over £5,000 for patient care at Kirkwood Hospice.
