A retirement village operator gave children the ‘key’ to Christmas with a magical storytelling event at its Tattenhall site from the team behind many of Storyhouse's productions.

Inspired Villages took children from the region, as well as families and their grandparents, on a journey through the village, where they discovered where Father Christmas lives when he’s not in the North Pole, followed by a festive themed afternoon tea.

Initially open to 15 local schools, the competition invited children to nominate their grandparents or older relative, explaining why they find them so inspirational.

Hundreds of entries were received with heart-warming messages such as: “My grandad inspires me to be the best person I can be and help others no matter what. He moved 9,000 miles to be close to us and help me grow up.”

“When my grandad gets five mins away from the farm, he always takes me for a drive on his John Deere pickup. When I tell him that I find things hard at school, he always tells me everyone has different gifts. But most of all, you always treat people the way you’d like to be treated yourself.”

“My grandma always thinks positively and is very creative and imaginative and thinks up fantastic games for us. She is always smiling and is a brilliant painter.”

Sales and Marketing Director, James Cobb said: “We had a truly magical day in Tattenhall for our Christmas event, welcoming over 100 families for some festive fun. Watching the children enjoy the magical adventure throughout the village and into the luxurious apartments, meeting some truly charming characters, was priceless. Here at Inpsired we love to bring families together and so we can’t wait to unveil our next event to the community.”