Record figures for children booked to visit Welsh language Santa this Christmas

Nation.Cymru staff

A traditional Christmas grotto in Wales has sold out faster than ever, with more than 1,000 children booked to meet Father Christmas for the first time since it opened in 2021.

The grotto at The Jester’s Tower welcomed 275 children in its first year, towards the end of the Covid pandemic. Since then, bookings have grown to more than 1,000 — and the language families choose for their visits has changed dramatically.

When owners Russel and Kim Erwood first opened the grotto, more than 80 per cent of families requested English. For Christmas 2026, more than 60 per cent have chosen Welsh.

Father Christmas — Siôn Corn — can conduct the entire visit in either language.

“He speaks Welsh. I mean, of course he does. He’s Father Christmas,” said Russel. “These are families that do not usually visit Conwy. To hear so many more people speaking Welsh in Conwy is amazing.”

The couple believe the grotto’s appeal comes from a combination of language, a convincing Father Christmas and giving families time to enjoy the encounter.

Every family receives a full ten minutes with the “Big Man”, allowing nervous children to settle in and more confident visitors to ask questions and share their Christmas wishes.

Reviews from earlier visitors reflect that personal approach. Writing on the Siôn Corn Facebook page in December 2021, Kirsten Alexander said: “He was magical with the kids and personalised it for them, a lovely touch.”

Another reviewer, Jay Gatling, praised Father Christmas’s patience with his one-and-a-half- year-old during the child’s first visit, describing it as “a lovely, gentle and magical visit”.

The man bringing Siôn Corn to life is professional actor Christopher Baglin, known professionally as Professor Llusern, whose work also encompasses conjuring, puppetry, and storytelling.

Russel says his performance can have a particular effect on children beginning to question whether Father Christmas is real.

“He embodies the spirit of Father Christmas so much that children who are on the cusp of not believing have those beliefs rekindled,” he said “Real magic happens at the Tower.”

Welsh-language reviews also describe the warmth of the welcome. In November 2023, Lucy Catherall thanked Siôn Corn for being so lovely with her two sons and described their visit as an exceptionally magical evening.

Behind the grotto are two organisers with extensive experience of live entertainment in North Wales. Russel Erwood, who previously performed as escape artist Roslyn Walker and is now better known as Erwyd, was appointed Jester of Conwy in August 2015 and continues to hold the role for more than a decade on.

Alongside Kim and the Conwy Chamber of Trade, he organised The Tournament in 2017 and later ran the Conwy Jester Days at Conwy Castle from 2018 until 2025.

For the past two seasons, Erwood has also performed as the clown with Peregrine Circus, touring towns across Wales.

Kim founded the North Wales Burlesque and Cabaret Festival, which ran between 2015 and 2025, bringing national and international cabaret and variety performers to the region over the decade.

At Christmas, the couple channel their combined experience into a traditional grotto where the encounter with Father Christmas takes centre stage.

With more than 1,000 children now booked to visit, this will be the Tower’s busiest Christmas yet — with most families choosing to share their Christmas wishes in Cymraeg.

To book one of the few remaining spaces visit www.sioncorn.cymru

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