This weekend he is back and one again, we were invited to see him. Suspecting that this will most likely be the last year of believing for my son, I said yes.
I know it is a bit early too, but with the children only being with me every other weekend I took the opportunity to start the Christmas fun a bit earlier.
The great thing about Giltbrook is that it is out of town, meaning no parking fees, yet plenty of great places to get some shopping done too.
As we waited to board the bus I could sense the excitement in the children, as the sound of Michael Buble drifted through the air I could feel myself getting into the spirit too.
Once you step onto the bus, there is a crafting area where children can write a card to Santa with what they would like for Christmas.
Then you are invited up one family at a time to see Santa, in what can only be described as a magical wonderland. With it cold outside, it certainly did feel like we were edging closer to Christmas, apparently it's only six weeks away!
Once up stairs the Jolly Fellow welcomed us and announced he'd been waiting to see us. He asked the children if they'd been good and what they'd like. He was a wonderfully kind Santa who listened intently to what they'd both like for Christmas.
Once they'd told him what they'd like (one thing each, bless them) Santa gave them each a little gingerbread snow globe, a lovely touch and something they can both treasure.
If you are around the Nottingham are this weekend, then I can highly recommend a trip to Giltbrook Retail Park.
The Big Red Bus is free to enter and is open on 11th and 12th November between 10am and 6pm (Saturday) and 11am and 5pm (Sunday). If you get a bit peckish there is also the Crepe Cabin and Street Diner for some yummy food.
This is a collaborative post, all words and images are my own.
