A village pub, also known as ‘The Christmas pub’, hosted an evening full of festive fun to celebrate the highly anticipated annual Christmas Santa Bus.
The Derry in Long Newton, Stockton, wowed residents and passersby with its impressive decorations, which have lit up the quaint village ahead of the festive season.
Customers last night (December 11), were treated to pizzas being freshly cooked, hot chocolates, mulled wine, jacket potatoes and festive tunes as residents were waiting in anticipation for the much-loved event.
Every year families can wave to Santa along with his elves from aboard his lit up open top, bright yellow bus.
In a social media post, landlord Sean Drinkel, also known as Mr Christmas, said: “Roughly around 6pm, the big man himself will be flying (well… driving) through Long Newton and we’re making a night of it!
“We’ll have the Christmas sheds open, the pizza oven fired up, and festive tunes blasting to keep you warm while you wait!”
This Christmas, Sean has decked out the pub in thousands of lights, baubles, and life-size decorations, including its very own Narnia grotto - to the delight of village residents and social media users alike.
Pictures show excited families waving at Santa as he passed by on the yellow bus, covered in dazzling golden lights.
The bus is not the only thing lit up with twinkly lights - Sean and the team at The Derry have decked out the outside area with a Narnia theme, including an enormous book, golden lion statue, and an inflatable polar bear with two penguins on the top.
Sean said: “I love Christmas - my favourite time of the year is decorating the inside and outside of the pub to light up the village.
“I’ve been doing this for the last six years now, but this year I’ve created a grotto to extend the decoration from inside the pub to the outside.
“We have customers who regularly say this is the best decorated pub they have ever been to.
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“We are now known as the Christmas pub, and they call me Mr Christmas.”
As Christmas swiftly approaches, the pub is also providing further festive events for families to enjoy, including breakfast with Santa or festive afternoon tea in one of their private heated pods.
Sean added: “Santa will be here on the 13th and the 20th of December for breakfast, where the children get a gift, breakfast and photo opportunities and a little certificate to say they’re on the ‘nice list’”.
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