Santa brings festive cheer as he arrives at East Kilbride shopping centre's winter wonderland

dailyrecord.co.uk:

Hundreds of youngsters descended on East Kilbride town centre at the weekend to make sure Santa was given a magical welcome as he flew in for the festive season.Santa touched down in his sleigh at 10am before making his way through the malls, accompanied by his trusty elves, to his winter wonderland grotto in Centre West.And first to greet him were siblings Charlie, 11, and seven-year-old Emma-Rose Kelly who have have been first in the queue every year for over a decade.

The centre’s free grotto promises a magical experience, with snowy Christmas trees, candy canes, polar bears, giant baubles, festive music, and even dancing snowmen set to entertain children of all ages.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Although there will be no charge to visit Santa, visitors are encouraged to make a donation to EK charity Kilbryde Hospice at the grotto or at other collection points in the centre.Santa will be back in EK every weekend in December (10am to 4pm on Saturdays, 11am to 4pm on Sundays) and in the run up to the big day on Monday, December 23 (10am to 4pm) and Christmas Eve (10am to 3pm).No booking is required, and every child will receive a Christmas gift when they leave.Santa said: “What a wonderful welcome!