I quit my job and remortgaged my home to make UK’s own Lapland – people said it was a midlife crisis but biz is booming

LOOKING astatine their 4 young sons gathering Father Christmas successful the aboriginal Noughties, Alison and Mike Battle wanted to bring adjacent much festive magic into their lives. 

But with a trip to Lapland easy costing implicit £6,000 for their household and determination being nary akin alternate successful the UK, they were astatine a loss. 

“We were precise frustrated that erstwhile our boys were small 20-odd years ago, we couldn’t find anyplace that matched this infinitesimal of importance,” Alison says. 

“Somewhere you could truly revel successful instant content arsenic a child, but besides arsenic a parent.

“Christmas is the astir joyous clip successful parenting.

“So, we gave up our nonrecreational jobs 17 years agone and we acceptable astir creating the imagination of Christmas.”

After quitting her occupation arsenic an babe schoolhouse teacher, Alison and Mike past remortgaged their location for a currency lump sum to dedicate to their imagination of creating the UK’s reply to Lapland. 

Lapland stretches crossed bluish Finland and is astir a three-and-a-half-hour formation from London. 

It is hailed arsenic the location of Santa Claus and connected millions of Britons’ question bucket lists for a magical, festive experience consecutive retired of a fairy tale. 

Picture snow-covered forests, charming log cabins and much reindeer than people.

But it’s an costly trip, and surely not 1 parents could spend successful the fiscal clang of 2008 and present successful the outgo of surviving crisis. 

Alison and Mike wanted families to beryllium capable to acquisition Christmas magic for a fraction of the price. 

The mates appeared connected ITV’s This Morning to stock however they brought Lapland UK to life. 

“When we archetypal came up with the concept, we were embarrassed to archer radical astir it,” Alison tells. 

“It conscionable seemed truthful wacky.

“We were nonrecreational radical successful our Forties with 4 sons.

“Passion and values were powering us.

“People thought that we’d had a spot of a midlife crisis.”

Mike adds: “I utilized to wonderment if I’d gone huffy and didn’t realise. 

“We had a truly large imaginativeness of creating a truly magical and bonzer abstraction that is truly believable.”

To guarantee the acquisition felt authentic, they called successful a squad of Hollywood acceptable designers and West End accumulation experts to trade the extraordinary, enchanting satellite that we present cognize arsenic Lapland UK. 

The mounting was designed to fto families immerse themselves successful the fleeting magic of their children’s content successful Father Christmas.

“Christmas clip is simply a clip of awe and content for a child,” Alison says.

They’ve welcomed implicit 1 cardinal visitors successful 17 years, including celebrities similar Elton John and Holly Willoughby. 

Lapland UK tin beryllium recovered successful the bosom of Swinley Forest, Bracknell and is astir afloat sold retired for 2024.

On accomplishment guests are presented with their ain 'Elf Passport' to springiness them support to question on the elven pathways and done a magical door.

They besides get the accidental to person wealth into 'Jingle' currency, which they are capable to walk astatine the park.

In summation to each of that, guests get to conscionable huskies and reindeer earlier the children are treated to an assemblage with the large antheral himself, Father Christmas.

There is besides an crystal skating rink, cafes, a station bureau and saccharine shop, portion further festive treats tin beryllium recovered successful Pumpernickel's restaurant.

The full circuit takes astir 4 hours.