What a rip off!

[Buckman]

Eight quid to see Father Christmas! I waited in the queue for ages for a one minute meeting and rubbish toy. What a rip off. Totally fuming. So glad I never took the kids!

 

[woodsieboy]

Are you sure you went to see the real Father Christmas?

 

[Beachball]

In our family its about making a childhood memory for the children in the family, priceless....

 

[otherclive]

Eight quid to see Father Christmas! I waited in the queue for ages for a one minute meeting and rubbish toy. What a rip off. Totally fuming. So glad I never took the kids!

That would have bought a few more litres of Prestone. Hope you didn’t sit on his lap 😱

 

[Sam Vimes]

Many moons ago we took our Grandkids to Santas Grotto at Milton Keynes. Apart from the Rip Off price I also got into an encounter with a 'Jobs Worth'.

I stood outside the barriers in the main hall with my trusty dSLR camera to take photos of the kids going into the Grotto. The JW approached me and said I wasn't allowed to take photos. I pointed out I was in a public place and I could if I wanted too (its a grey area but). No not allowed I was told.

I was the only one with a real camera so an easy target as everyone esle was using their phones and not bothered. This carried no weight but I was told that if I wanted to I could come in a take some photos. Which I did. Go figure the logic of that.

 

[Raywood]

My grandson age 7 came home from school last Thursday excited as he had met Santa there. My wife asked him how he knew it was the real Santa, to which he replied "because he was very big". Wish everyone could be so trusting.
At the other end of the scale my nephew who is now 50 was taken to see Santa in a local store when he was a boy, he then saw him again in school and later when they were in Tesco in town. The third Santa asked him what he wanted to get for Christmas and was told "If you don't by now you never will".
Perhaps that is the way to go as he is now easily the richest member of our family.

 

[Hutch]

34 years ago, Mrs H worked as a school secretary, I was at home with our 4 year old, She rang me up and said Father Christmas had gone sick for attending the primary school, and would I dress up for it.
Ok went and got a spare pillow and collected the Santa outfit, went to the school and carried out Santa's Ho Ho Ho's. Our son was standing with my wife watching and said out loud, My Dad has boots like Santas.
Very observant. 😄

 

[Jcloughie]

Many years ago we took a granddaughter to Currys. They had a Father Christmas at the entrance. She went loopy. As she did with anyone who dressed up. We calmed her and we went shopping. On the way out he approached her again, even though he has promised not to. Turns out there had been a shift change. All hell broke loose again.

Now in her early 30’s . I continue to tease her about it.

John

 

[RogerL]

Many years ago we took a granddaughter to Currys. They had a Father Christmas at the entrance. She went loopy. As she did with anyone who dressed up. We calmed her and we went shopping. On the way out he approached her again, even though he has promised not to. Turns out there had been a shift change. All hell broke loose again.

Now in her early 30’s . I continue to tease her about it.

John

My daughter-in-law, now 40, has long had a phobia about anyone dressed in costume - can be difficult as she manages a nursery and doesn't like to spoil the children's fun.

 

[Bluetonic]

£12.50 for an adult and £9 for a child to walk around some xmas lights in a public park in Leicester this year.
No chance, hope it's a total failure

 

[Buckman]

£12.50 for an adult and £9 for a child to walk around some xmas lights in a public park in Leicester this year.
No chance, hope it's a total failure

Although the thread started a joke, it seems it is not a joke reading some of the responses regarding charges. Christmas is a no longer a time for joy, but a time to see who can be ripped off.

 

[Bluetonic]

Although the thread started a joke, it seems it is not a joke reading some of the responses regarding charges. Christmas is a no longer a time for joy, but a time to see who can be ripped off.

Sorry, Yes I liked the joke. I should have left it there but the Leicester lights has really peed me off

 

[Jcloughie]

£12.50 for an adult and £9 for a child to walk around some xmas lights in a public park in Leicester this year.
No chance, hope it's a total failure

That's dirt cheap! Look at Blenheim. Sudeley, Westenbirt and Longleat.

This year we have done the Blenheim Snowqueen (inside). Sudeley and we will be doing Wesenbirt later in December.

We haven’t done Longleat for some years. It worked in well with the CMHC site so close the event. But Longleat takes some beating.

Channel 4 and 5 have just done documentaries on the installations at Blenheim and Longleat.

I dare say there might be some events which represent poor value for money.

John

 

[Gafferbill]

.......going to Stourhead Cristmas Lights this weekend. We are adding the visit to a 3 night CAMC caravan rally at Salisbury to visit the City and take in their Cristmas festivities.
It will be the first towing trip with our new to us Santa Fe towcar!

 

[otherclive]

We’ve done Longleat twice but never again. On a post Christmas visit mid week the queue was backed up to the service area on the A36 /A350 outside Warminster. 90 minutes from joining the queue until we parked up. The lanterns are absolutely brilliant but I’m not prepared to invest that amount of time in a traffic queue and enrich Lord Bath no matter how great the Longleat lantern experience .