Carpets and Santa

The girls in the gift shop have had a very busy few weeks - first of all they have been preparing the new Jinney Ring outlet in Kidderminster - it is part of the newly opened Museum of Carpets. (located next door to Morrisons supermarket) The shop ladies also look after one other "off site" shop at Bodenham Arboretum so they will be pretty busy this Christmas looking after all of them.

Jinney Ring Buyer Carolyn with Catherine from the Museum of Carpet in the new gift shop 

While all this has been going on they have also been getting ready for Santa's visits here and the grotto is now complete, and in the garden we can see lights going up.

Santa's Grotto - ready for his visits - located in the gallery area upstairs

The men putting the lights up today have been good to watch and it looks like we ducks are going to have some new lights in the garden for December.  (I do hope they don't keep us awake at night - but then we are used to being in the 'spotlight'!) These lights were used on the canal for the last few years but this year the team are sticking on dry land, well dryish -- we have made it nice and muddy down that end of the garden.  

Nick, Paddy and the crew putting up lights in the gardens ready for December

The Christmas lights are going to be switched on by Santa and West Midlands Search and Rescue as part of the Craft Fayre weekend -- should be fun as there are lots of extra crafts people here that weekend.

Finally - a little note about the new ducklings - they are now outside in the pen but are finding it a bit chilly as they did get used to a nice warm house, they are spending a lot of time inside next to the heat lamp at the moment -- it won't be long before they venture out a bit more though.