Monday 28 November 2011

Christmas and cartoon piggies

Yesterday was my birthday. What did I do? I went to see Father Christmas. Now, I realise this sounds a little bit strange. A thirty-something-year-old going to see Father Christmas, but I have an excuse. It was also the day my dad had booked to take my nephews to the Christmas event at Paulton's Park.

Consequently, my sister and her family, and my dad, my stepmother, and me all tottered off to Hampshire to give the little ones a treat.

What's up with the pigs? Well, Paulton's Park has a shiny new section, and it's devoted to Peppa Pig - a British TV programme that has gone viral in terms of books, toys, and now, even its own theme park.

Needless to say, my nephews loved it. All the places from the television programme were there: Windy Castle, Peppa's house, the school, and even some muddy puddles (though they weren't open - it's November, after all). Peppa Pig World is a beautiful, colourful creation, with rides that even the very little can go on and enjoy, while having enough room for the slightly larger of us.

As for the Christmas Wonderland, the queue took visitors though a snowy walkway, accompanied by singing yetis, reindeer, and elves in a gorgeous animatronic display. For the children, this was a great way to keep them occupied while they were waiting to see a bloke in a red suit.

My older nephew was keen to tell Father Christmas all about what he wanted for that illustrious holiday, while my younger one hung back a bit, deciding at the last moment that he was actually shy. When it came to the present though, the shyness evaporated, as if by magic ;).

I can't remember visiting many Christmas grottos, but I think this was done exceptionally well. It was personal for each child (they were called by name), and they were each given a gift suitable for their age group. At any rate, they had fun.

This was how I spent my birthday, but it was actually a first for me. When I was growing up, theme parks didn't do this sort of thing, and weren't open in the winter months.  So, this was the first time I'd been to a theme park on my birthday! To top it off, my sister made me a cake, so it was also the first time, in a long while, I got to blow out some candles :).

Can you remember any birthdays with a difference? Or have you been to any Christmas displays that stood out?

12 comments:

M Pax said...

Happy Birthday! Sounds like fun. Peppa pigs, huh? They are really cute.

Golden Eagle said...

Happy Birthday!

It sounds like a great place.

We used to visit a mall in a nearby state that had elaborate Christmas decorations--they'd put up moving displays of elves, life-size gingerbread-style houses, and huge garlands (though I guess a lot of malls do the latter).

Anonymous said...

Happy Birthday, even if a bit late:) The piggies are so cute.

Murees Dupè said...

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C D Meetens said...

Thanks everyone for the birthday wishes :).

M Pax: My nephews love them, at any rate ;).

Eagle: The life-size gingerbread-style houses sound beautiful. Nice that they make that extra bit of effort.

TFWalsh: They had a "meet the characters" section a few times during the day. It was sweet seeing all the little kids crowd round just to pat them on the snout or something :).

Murees: Thank you so much!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Belated happy birthday! Singing Yetis? Sure they weren't Bumbles? Those bounce you know!

C D Meetens said...

Thanks, Alex. I had to look up about Bumbles :). From the quotes I found, it seems like a fun film :D.

AmieSalmon said...

Wow, sounds like you had such a good birthday, now you can prepare for christmas!
My nieces and nephews have never got into Peppa Pig, my youngest nephew is a Thomas the Tank Engine lover and has a current thing for Spirited Away. He has a varied taste.

Aubrie said...

Happy Birthday! I've never heard of Peppa Pig!

C D Meetens said...

Amie: My oldest nephew (he's 4) loves Thomas and Pixar's Cars. He's also a fan of Peppa, but not as much as the youngest.

Aubie: Thanks :). I think it's a British thing. The cartoons last about five minutes, and feature things like going to the dentist, etc.

Unknown said...

Hope you had a beautiful day! Happy belated b-day. :))

C D Meetens said...

Thanks, Candy. This reply is a little belated too - sorry about that.

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