Town centre to transform into winter wonderland

Alice in Wonderland meets Santa Claus as this year's Fleet Walk Christmas grotto comes to life.

Torbay Sunrise Rotary Grotto has once again transformed an empty unit in the town centre mall into a winter wonderland and will feature appearances from beloved characters like the Cheshire Cat, the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit, the King of Hearts, and the Mad Hatter.

The Grotto will be open on weekends from November 16 until December 8 and then every day from December 14 until December 24.

The Torbay Sunrise Rotary Club organizes the event with assistance from the Tormohun Rotary Club and volunteers from Torquay's Ladies Circle and Mummy & Me.

All proceeds will go to Rotary charities, including Children’s Hospice South West.

The grotto was built by Torbay Display. Rotary's Hannah Brown said: "This has become one of the main attractions in Torbay over the Christmas period, attracting hundreds of visitors each year who in turn spend in the car parks, Fleet Walk shopping, and town centre retailers.”

Toys in the grotto are once again sponsored by Torbay Cemetery & Crematorium, who are part of the Westerleigh Group. Stephen Ainsworth, Crematorium Manager, said: "We’re delighted to support Torbay Sunrise Rotary and to help bring so much festive joy to children in the local area."

The grotto is extending an invitation on Sunday, November 24 to local refugee children and their families so they can enjoy the magic of Christmas, all funded by the Torbay Sunrise Rotary Club. This is being organised by Julia Polutskaya on behalf of Ukrainian and other refugee families in Torbay.

General tickets have now gone live and are available for purchase through EventBrite on a first-come, first-served basis. Prices start from £10 plus booking fee for one child and two adults, and up to £25 plus booking fee for four children and two adults (additional adults can attend for free).

For more information, visit the Fleetwalk Grotto Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/fleetwalkgrotto.