We're off up north at Christmas to visit my family in County Durham (my mum lives in Bishop Auckland.)
I'd like to take my kids to visit Santa on the Sunday, Monday or Tuesday just before Christmas and I guess any 'Grottos' will be open from now onwards.
It would be nice to take them to somewhere decent. Preferably with a convincing Santa (my just-5 year old has started announcing 'that's not really santa is it mummy - it's just a man dressed up?' and we've asked him not to say it loudly, but yes, santa is so busy that a lot of the time people have to pretend, but if we're really lucky we'll get the real one. He ain't daft.
Does anyone have any recommendations? Happy to go anywhere local - Durham, Darlo, Bishop etc, but not too far afield as we haven't got time to make special trips to Newcastle and the like.