FAMILIES turned out in full force for the opening weekend of The Rock Shopping Centre’s FREE Santa’s Grotto.
The shopping and leisure destination’s Santa’s Grotto officially opened on Saturday 30th November and is open on various days on the run up to Christmas.
More than 200 children visited the grotto over the opening weekend.
Visitors queued in anticipation of the grotto opening and were able to step into a cozy woodland theme wonderland for their visit to Santa.
It’s the first time The Rock has hosted a grotto since the pandemic.
The focal piece of the grotto is a magical archway of lights, garlands, baubles and branches, creating a standout backdrop for the photo with Santa. Admission is free and includes a chocolate lolly.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director of The Rock, said: “We’ve had an excellent opening weekend at our free Santa’s Grotto, and we’re thrilled that so many families were able to join us. The grotto is open on various dates between now and Christmas Eve and is completely FREE to enter. It is important to my team and I that we offer this experience free of charge, so that all children can enjoy a festive visit to see Santa.”
The grotto is in St John’s Square, alongside the centre’s Christmas food fair. The famous Rock Express land train will also return this Christmas. Visitors can enjoy a festive journey in the town from Saturday 14th December.
Santa’s Grotto is fully accessible and is manned by two elves. Santa will take a break daily at 1pm for 30 mins. There will be no admission to the grotto during this time.
For full opening hours and further information visit The Rock’s website or keep an eye on their social media pages.
FAMILIES from Bury and beyond will be able to visit a magical Santa’s Grotto at The Rock Shopping this festive season – for FREE!
The shopping and leisure destination’s Santa’s Grotto will open on Saturday 30th November and will then be open on various days on the run up to Christmas.
It’s the first time The Rock has hosted a grotto since the pandemic and they’re promising a high quality, classic grotto with outstanding staff.
Families will step into a cosy woodland theme wonderland for their visit to Santa. The focal piece of the grotto will be a magical archway of lights, garlands, baubles and branches to create a standout backdrop for the photo with Santa. Admission is free and includes a chocolate lolly.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director of The Rock, said: “Here at The Rock we are firm believers that every child should be able see Santa and that’s why once again our grotto will be free to enter. This year’s grotto is a brand-new design, and we think our visitors will be absolutely blown away by it – it’ll be sure to get them in the Christmas spirit.”
The grotto will be located in St John’s Square, alongside the centre’s Christmas food fair. The famous Rock Express land train will also return this Christmas. Visitors can enjoy a festive journey in the town from Saturday 14th December.
Santa’s grotto will be fully accessible and will be manned by two elves. Quiet hour will run on Fridays from 11am-12pm. Santa will take a break daily at 1pm for 30 mins. There will be no admission to the grotto during this time.
The search is on for local heroes to switch on the Christmas lights at The Rock Shopping Centre this year.
The shopping and leisure destination is holding a Community Christmas Concert and Lights Switch On on Saturday 9th November 2024.
Running from 3pm-5pm the shopping centre has joined forces with Roch Valley Radio to pull together a special festive event which will bring the people of Bury together.
As part of the community-focused event, The Rock is launching their search for a local hero or heroes to help switch on the festive lights.
On the day, the countdown will take place just before 5pm and the local hero/es will flick the switch to light up The Rock ready for the Christmas shopping period.
Nominations can be made through The Rock’s website from Friday 4th October and the deadline for submissions is Friday 25th October.
The Rock’s centre director, Arnold Wilcox-Wood, said: “Last year’s Christmas lights switch on event was a huge success and we’re thrilled to be hosting it again. In 2023 our local hero was Les Edwards, Chairman of Seedfield Sports Junior Football Club, who was chosen following a nomination campaign where we received 95 submissions.
“We were overwhelmed with nominations in our search for a local hero – choosing just one person was tough.
“So, this year, we’ll be choosing multiple local heroes to help us light up Bury at our Community Christmas Concert and Lights Switch On.
“Whether they’re a volunteer, teacher, emergency services worker, or somebody who has done something outstanding in the community, you can nominate your local hero to switch on the Christmas Lights at The Rock.
“This event is all about the community and celebrating our rising stars, our charity partner Secret Garden – Hoyles Park and a local heroes. We’re thrilled to be hosting this ‘new look’ event for a second year and can’t wait to kick off the Christmas season.”
The event will take place on a stage in St John’s Square, in front of The Range and will feature groups from the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop, Bury Music Service and performers who have been supported by Liv’s Trust.
The switch on event is free to attend and marks the beginning of the Christmas season for The Rock.
Families visiting The Rock Shopping Centre this Christmas will have their trip turned upside down thanks to the destination’s free, fun, festive installation.
This weekend a giant Christmas present was unveiled at The Rock – a present with a difference.
Inside the present is an upside down candy cane playroom, featuring gingerbread men, candy canes, lollipops, teddy bears and more but the twist is, it’s all upside down.
The present will be open every day for shoppers to take a look around and take some festive snaps with a difference.
Families are encouraged to visit and take the most fun festive photos for social media with fancy dress encouraged throughout.
The best photo submission will win a bumper prize hamper made up of gifts donated by The Rock’s retailers, just in time for Christmas.
Plus, on Saturdays in December, the Jolly Candy Follies will be on hand for photos within the present and families can take part in a festive window trail around the centre, with returned entries receiving sweet treats.
Located in the space in front of The Range, the Topsy Turvy Gift will be open daily throughout December with the competition running on Facebook until Monday 18th December.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director of The Rock, said: “We wanted to do something completely different this Christmas and we’re so thrilled to unveil our Topsy Turvy Gift. So many people have already posed for photos and we can’t wait to go through all the competition entries. The prize hamper is filled with wonderful gifts from retailers including M&S, The Entertainer, The Perfume Shop, Kaspa’s Desserts, Skechers, Bob & Berts, Starbucks, Pandora and more.”
HUNDREDS of people gathered at The Rock Shopping Centre for a community concert which saw the Christmas lights switched on by a local hero.
Les Edwards, 66, Chairman of Seedfield Sports Junior Football Club was chosen to turn on the Christmas lights following The Rock’s campaign to find a local hero for the job.
He was put forward by members of the community for all his work at the club, with one parent saying: ‘Without Les and his dedication for this football club many children wouldn’t be able to do what they love. Please consider this selfless man because he really doesn’t know how much we value him as a person and what he does for our children.”
The concert took place on Saturday 4th November, running from 2pm-5pm. The shopping centre joined forces with Roch Valley Radio to pull together the special festive event which brought the people of Bury together.
The event featured groups from the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop, Bury Music Service and performers who have been supported by The Rock’s current partner charity, Liv’s Trust.
The line-up was hosted by former Tower FM breakfast presenter Jon Holling and took place on a stage in St John’s Square, in front of The Range.
Ahead of the switch on, Les, said of the nominations: “I’m just a normal bloke, I’ve got a lot of good people around me. It’s not just me, it’s everybody. I just want kids to be able to play football.”
When the lights were switched on the Manchester Survivors Choir took to the stage and performed some Christmas classics as the crowd sang along.
Arnold Wilcox-Wood, Centre Director at The Rock said: “We were thrilled to be able to host our Community Christmas Concert and Lights Switch On event after so many years without one. It has always been a very popular event and this year was no exception.
“This year we really wanted to shine a light on the local community by showcasing local talent and celebrating local people – it was heartwarming to watch so many talented youngsters take to the stage and wonderful to see a crowd of smiling, happy faces.
“It was our pleasure to invite Les to turn on the lights, he is a great ambassador for the town.”
Arnold added: “We are so grateful to every single performer for taking part. We couldn’t have put on this show without them.”
The switch on event was free to attend and marks the beginning of the Christmas season for The Rock. A mystery gift photo op will also arrive in the centre in December and visitors will be encouraged to share their festive snaps for the chance to win a Christmas prize.
The search is on for a local hero to switch on the Christmas lights at The Rock Shopping Centre this year.
We are holding a Community Christmas Concert and Lights Switch On on Saturday 4th November.
Running from 2pm-5pm we have joined forces with Roch Valley Radio to pull together a special festive event which will bring the people of Bury together.
As part of the community-focused event, we are launching a search for a ‘local hero’ to find a Bury star to help switch on the festive lights.
On the day, the countdown will take place just before 5pm and the local hero will flick the switch to light up The Rock ready for the Christmas shopping period.
Nominations can be made through our website from Tuesday 3rd October and the deadline for submissions is Friday 20th October.
The Rock’s centre director, Arnold Wilcox-Wood, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to be holding our Community Christmas Concert and Lights Switch On event this year. This event is all about the community and celebrating our rising stars, our charity partner and a local hero. This event will be very different to our previous switch ons but it promises to be a fun-filled event which will bring together the people of Bury.
“It is the perfect opportunity to shine the spotlight on the local heroes which is why we are searching for a well deserving local star to help switch on this year’s lights. We look forward to receiving the nominations and we’re sure we’ll have our work cut out in choosing just one person to light up The Rock.”
The event will also feature groups from the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop, Bury Music Service and performers who have been supported by The Rock’s current partner charity, Liv’s Trust.
The line-up will be hosted by former Tower FM breakfast presenter Jon Holling and will take place on a stage in St John’s Square, in front of The Range.
The switch on event is free to attend and marks the beginning of the Christmas season for The Rock. A mystery gift photo op will also arrive in the centre in December and visitors will be encouraged to share their festive snaps for the chance to win a Christmas prize.
Children’s TV favourite Mr Bloom and pop sensation 5 After Midnight will switch on the Christmas lights at The Rock this year.
The centre’s Christmas Lights Switch on, hosted by Tower FM, will take place on Thursday 9th November from 5:30pm until 7:30pm and will also feature a number of local acts, including groups from the Carol Godby Theatre Workshop and of course an appearance from Santa himself.
Throughout the evening a competition called ‘Be Santa, See Santa’ will take place – visitors can have their photo taken in a Santa hat and beard by the Tower FM street team at their ‘Santa Stations’ for a chance to win an amazing family trip to Lapland.
There’ll be spot prizes for Santas posing throughout the night and the holiday winner will be announced just before the switch for the lights is flicked.
The switch on is free to attend and in the week leading up to the event a competition to find Mr Bloom’s vegetables around the centre will be held, with the winners given the chance to say hello to the star before he takes to the stage on the night.
The event marks the beginning of the Christmas season for The Rock. The centre’s Santa’s Grotto will officially open on Saturday 25th November following the Santa’s Arrival parade in the morning and The Rock Express will return in December to transport festive shoppers around the town until the end of the month.
The Rock’s centre director, Arnold Wilcox-Wood, said: “Our Christmas Lights Switch on is the biggest event in our calendar and people travel from miles around to join us – and this year will be no exception!
“The flick of the switch at the end of the night truly signals the beginning of the festive season for the centre, our retailers and our shoppers. We’re really excited about this year’s line-up and to be working in conjunction with Tower FM and as always we look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors to join with us for the event.”
The festive party season is here. But with so many invites, from cosy nights in to proper parties, it’s difficult to know what to wear, and when. So we’ve done the hard work for you and put together some of our favourite outfits to cover your diary.
Occasion: The Christmas Meal
Laid back chic meets festive frenzy. Throw on these coated jeans, this quirky robin jumper and pair with heels to take your outfit seamlessly from day to night.
Fluffy Christmas Robin Jumper £12.00 Primark
Sole Diva Fringe Suede Ankle Boots Wide E- Fit £69.00
Simply Be Braided headband £4.99 H&M
MOTO Black Coated Jamie Jeans £45.00 Topshop
Occasion: The Night Out
Just enough sparkle to feel special, without over doing it. All in black, because black will always be the new black. This outfit’s all about the textures- just check out the ponyskin clutch bag!
Black sparkly open back bodycon dress £42.00 River Island
Black ponyskin leather clutch bag £25.00 Simply Be
Peep-toe high fronts shoes: £24.99 Deichmann
Occasion: From meal to a night out
Smart, sophisticated yet effortlessly cool. An outfit that ticks all the festive boxes.
Shirt: Lyle and Scott Shirt Navy/ Wine £84.95 Infinities
Boots: Casual Lace-up Boots Deichmann £29.99
Dark wash Dylan slim jeans £40.00 River Island
From your meal to the night out to a day with family, we’ve got what to wear at your Christmas party covered head to heel. Share with us your festive fashion choices on Twitter @therockbury.
Christmas is the time of year to curl up in front of the sofa surrounded by the things that make you feel all festive and fuzzy.
It doesn’t get much better than your favourite flicks. So you bring the boxes of chocolates and we’ll bring the box sets. Here’s our list of the 10 best Christmas movies that’ll rock your festive socks off.
Home Alone
Nothing says bring on the mulled wine more than an 8-year-old Macaulay Culkin giving two con men the run-around the Christmas tree.
After a fall-out with his parents the night before a family trip to Paris, and in the rush to get to the airport, Kevin (played by Culkin) is left in the attic and his wishes of being home alone come true.
It’s a Wonderful Life
The 1946 classic follows a man with a different kind of wish. George, who wishes he was never born, is sent an angel to help this compassionate but frustrated soul.
He is shown how many lives he’s touched and how he’d be missed. A heart-warming tale made for a Sunday session.
Elf
Wrapped up in the excitement and holiday spirit that is Christmas, Will Ferrell who plays Buddy, goes to NYC to find his real father.
Spreading Christmas cheer in a world full of cynics, this is a tale of childhood innocence. Our favourite scenes include seeing him snarled by a feisty raccoon when he goes for a hug and getting lost inside a revolving door.
Chicken Run
Not so much a Christmas-themed film, but it’s become tied with this wonderful time of year. It’s a love story. And one of great escape and adventure from Tweedy’s chicken pie farm.
American smooth-talker Rocky lands on the farm, igniting dreams for Ginger and her gang of girls to flee to green new pastures. Enjoy a mince pie or two as you watch them squirm about ‘not wanting to be a pie’ because they don’t like gravy.
Gremlins
When a gadget salesman brings back an innocent-looking furry friend for his son, he’s clueless to the chaos that’s about to commence.
He was warned never to expose the little thing to bright light, water, or feed after midnight. The result: a super gang of Gremlins ripping through the town on Christmas Eve like a five-year-old on Christmas morning.
Deck the Halls
There’s nothing wrong with a little Christmas-off with your nextdoor neighbour. Who has the biggest tree? Who has the brightest lights?
Deck the Halls sees two neighbours (Matthew Broderick and Danny DeVito) festively fight it out for the title of Father Christmas in a battle for the brightest lights- lights that are so bright you can see them from space (just imagine the electricity bill!).
The Nightmare Before Christmas
For an alternative Christmas animation, we’ve chosen The Nightmare Before Christmas. Fed up of scaring people in his Halloweentown world, Jack Skellington reacts with awe and wonder at the warmth and light of Christmastown.
With a new lease of life, Jack plots to kidnap Santa and harness the power of Christmas by taking on the job (with dire consequences).
Bad Santa
There’s a holiday con brewing (a bit like the tinsel that doesn’t quite reach all corners of your Christmas tree). Posing as a shopping mall Santa with a friend who’s a bad elf, the two con men plan to rip-off the stores.
Luckily, befriending a small boy brings out Bad Santa’s inner child, proving there is still hope for him on the real Santa’s nice list.
The Muppet Christmas Carol
The classic 1843 Dickens tale features a rather stingy Scrooge played by Michael Caine. Bah humbug!
Follow Miss Piggy, Kermit and The Great Gonzo as they teach him the errors of his selfish ways. Christmas is a time for sharing and caring.
The Grinch
Dr Suess’ book turned film follows the reclusive green Grinch who plots to steal Christmas from the cheery town of Whoville.
Proving that even grumpy people still have a heart, Jim Carrey’s Grinch falls for an endearing Cindy Lou Who played by Taylor Momsen.
Feeling festive?
Our Santa’s Grotto is open until Christmas Eve. We’ve also got a festive food fair, The Rock Express land train, plus festive entertainment every Saturday.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year. From festive feasts to Christmas crackers, family fun to finding the perfect gift, here are 10 reasons why we love Christmas at The Rock….
1 – Advent calendars
25 days of chocolate in the morning. Can it get any better? Well, we tried, bringing you a giant advent calendar at The Rock with a new exclusive offer EVERY day. We announce them every morning on our Facebook page.
2 – Christmas singles
‘It’s Christmas!’ as Slade remind us every year, but the songs never get old. Whether you’re into Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, Wham!’s Last Christmas or The Pogues’ Fairytale of New York, the list goes on.
Whether it’s Santa outfits, festive jumpers or a new party dress for your Christmas do, ‘tis the season to look jolly good. River Island are all about bold coloured dresses with faux fur, for a hint of glint head to Next or for the perfect combo of rich tartans and pretty velvet head to Ark.
5 – Secret Santa
You just don’t know what you’re going to get. It fills you with excitement and fear in equal measure… but it just wouldn’t be Christmas without Secret Santa. Struggling for ideas? There’s games, jigsaws and stocking fillers at The Entertainer.
It’s not so secret, but you can visit Santa’s Grotto at The Rock throughout December, for free!
6 – Topping the tree
Wrestling with the tree to get it down from the loft, tangling the dog up in tinsel as he bites baubles from the tree, and the yearly quest to find the one light that’s not working, all part of the fun and games of Christmas. But we all know that whoever gets to top the tree with the star is the real winner.
7 – Turkey dinner with all the trimmings
Turkey, stuffing, roast potatoes and veg, Christmas food is totally worth the extra pounds you’re probably going to put on. We’ve created a Festive Food Market full of our favourites including the German sausage swing grill, The Little Chocolatier, Donut and Creperie Cottage and Christmas roasts stall, running until 3rd January.
8 – Festive cheers
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a glass of bubbly in the morning and a sherry to wash down your roast dinner. Take the party home with you with a selection of festive fizz from M&S.
9 – TV specials
Your favourite TV shows are all scrambling for a slice of your attention like a new puppy on Christmas day. If you’re not the Queen’s speech sort-of family, there’s your classic Doctor Who, and recently turned festive favourite, Mrs Brown’s Boys.
10- And all the presents!
How could we forget? Whether you’re shopping for yourself or someone else, there’s lots to choose from here at The Rock. Build your own bear at Build-a-bear Workshop, pick up the latest video games from GAME or choose a new fragrance from The Perfume Shop.
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Nothing says bring on the mulled wine more than an 8-year-old Macaulay Culkin giving two con men the run-around the Christmas tree.
