Father Christmas takes residence in East Woodhay Village Hall

Forget Lapland. You can now visit Santa in his very own grotto in East Woodhay.

East Woodhay Village Hall has been transformed into a winter paradise filled with toys, decorations and snowmen, bringing a healthy dose of Christmas magic to the local area.

The grotto is part of a rejuvenation project currently going on at the community facility, which has seen a new team coming in to run the hall and the introduction of a new café.

Trained chef Natalie Ellis is behind The Play Café, which is open at the hall on Tuesdays to Thursdays, Sundays and two Fridays a month.

Serving cooked breakfasts, homemade bakes and Sunday roasts, The Play Café also features a diverse range of toys and roleplay stations, making it the perfect spot for children to play and for them and their parents or carers to enjoy quality food.

Santa’s grotto is part of the café this Christmas, and the two-hour experience includes a Christmas craft making session, a private visit with Father Christmas himself and a bespoke gift.

There will also be chances to have breakfast with the Grinch over the festive period, or have afternoon tea with Belle from Beauty and The Beast on New Year’s Day.

To find out more about The Play Café and to book onto one of the upcoming festive experiences, visit https://www.the-play-cafe.co.uk/

The previous husband and wife team who managed the village hall retired earlier this year after running it for over 20 years.

A new team of volunteers has taken over the hall’s management, but are still looking for more people to help out and promote the use of the hall in order to secure its future.

Those interested in getting involved with running East Woodhay Village Hall, or booking it for an event, should contact Karen Titcomb at karentitcomb.ewpc@gmail.com

The new team is hoping to turn the rural hall into a popular and well-used venue for clubs, parties, meetings and more.