
Jeremy Williams-Chalmers
Arts Correspondent
10:10 AM 24th December 2024
family
Christmas At Twycross Zoo
Earlier this year I took my children to Twycross Zoo. We received an invitation to explore the updated Gruffalo Trail. Aged 4 and 7, they were the perfect ages to share their thoughts. It was quite simple. They loved it. Not only did they love the Gruffalo Trail, but they also loved the zoo. They particularly enjoyed watching the playful gibbons. As a result, they had been asking for a return visit. One was scheduled for late November. The Gruffalo Trail had been reworked with a seasonal twist, and a certain man in a red suit would be visiting. Unfortunately, the weather had other plans. A storm hit, and our visit was postponed for a couple of weeks. Then a storm decided to visit again. We had to postpone the trip. Alas, on December 23rd, with Christmas just around the corner, our trip finally happened.
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And it was really worth the wait! Arriving for opening at 10 am, the children were buzzing to see their favourite animals again. We had a plan—meerkats and Sumatran tigers first. But all that changed when, upon arrival, they discovered the truly impressive Lego animal trail that journeys throughout the entirety of Twycross. While they still wanted to see the real things, the Lego creatures really captured their imaginations, and they were equally excited to learn how many bricks had been used in the structures as they were to discover which animals had been created.
As we journeyed through the meerkats, Sumatran tiger, the penguins, and flamingos towards the giraffes, they loved the Lego penguins, elephant, and tiger cubs that they spotted along the way. As we drew closer to the gibbons, they were, of course, thrilled to find the play area relatively empty and spent far too long bouncing around on the equipment, leaving only a brief time allocation for the long-awaited revisit to the gibbons.
With our time slot for the Gruffalo Trail upon us, we returned to the entrance and made our way through the snowy trail towards the man in the big red coat, who not only met us for a quick photo at the end but treated us to a song and dance-driven show alongside his elves. The outdoor performance space was packed, and the sheer joy of Christmas fuelled a frenzy in the hearts of the old and young.
After another meet and greet opportunity—this time with the Gruffalo alongside the Gruffalo Child—a return to the gibbons after a lunch break was inevitable, before a farewell visit to the play area, the penguins, and the tortoise. While I missed out on a farewell to my favourites—the flamingos—the children left happy alongside their Gruffalo-themed gifts, which my daughter keenly pointed out had been gifted by Mrs. Claus and not Santa himself.
For more information: www.twycrosszoo.org