Mayor brings festive cheer at opening of Christmas Grotto at the Guildhall

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council, Alderman Hilary McClintock, brought a huge helping of festive Christmas Cheer to the Guildhall on Friday as her Christmas Grotto opened.

The building’s Whitaker Suite has been transformed into Elfwood Forest by a special elf sent by Santa himself.

Ellie the Elf will sprinkle her magical fairy dust throughout the City and District allowing all the good children to enter the forest.

For two weekends imaginations will come to life with the sounds of the forest and magical animals as Ellie tells stories of Elfwood and gets the children to help wake Santa who has been asleep since July, such was the toll of last year’s Christmas.