Thousands of people heralded the start of the Christmas season as Santa and his reindeers came to town.
Families shrugged off the gloomy weather to make an annual pilgrimage to watch Santa’s sleigh wind its way through the streets of Lindley and Shelley on Saturday.
The real life Cairngorm reindeers pulled Santa from Lidget Street down to Armitage’s Garden Centre at Birchencliffe, where Santa is hosting his grotto.
In Shelley, the Scottish reindeers were paraded from the village hall to the firm’s Pennine garden centre in Huddersfield Road.
Families were also able to see the reindeer in their pen for an hour afterwards.
Two lucky youngsters, Kayla, aged five, and Charlotte, four, won a once-in-a-lifetime chance to ride in Santa’s sleigh, thanks to the garden centre's Christmas Card competition.
Their winning festive designs will be made into Christmas cards sold to help Dalton-based Kirkwood Hospice, which will also benefit from proceeds from Santa’s grotto.
Grottos are open at both garden centres from 11am to 4pm every Saturday and Sunday until December 21.
A short break is taken from 1.30pm to 2pm for Santa to feed his reindeer!
The grotto will also be open from 10am to 2pm on Monday December 22, Tuesday December 23 and Christmas Eve at both centres.
The cost is £4 per child with all proceeds going to Kirkwood Hospice.
