A new interactive attraction is set to bring the beloved characters from The Gruffalo & Friends to a new home on Blackpool’s seafront this summer.
Merlin Entertainments, Magic Light Pictures, and Blackpool Council have announced that they are to join forces and create the world’s-first ‘The Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse’ on the seafront at the popular Lancashire resort.
The fan-favourite characters from creators Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s books will be brought to life like never before.
Having been 18-months in the making, the brand-new £2.3 million attraction will bring together six of the best loved stories to create “an indoor play adventure like no other”.
Exciting news this morning. A brand-new world class attraction will launch on Blackpool’s seafront this May.
In a world first, The Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse will bring together six of the best loved stories to create an indoor play adventure like no other.
According to the creators of the attraction, families will get to burst through the pages of some of their favourite stories and into a magical 3D world.
ADVERTISEMENT
From The Gruffalo’s deep dark wood, to Princess Pearl’s castle in Zog, visitors will be taken on an “adventure of imagination, discovery, and play” as they join their favourite characters, with some of the exciting interactive play zones being inspired by The Gruffalo, The Gruffalo’s Child, Zog, The Snail and the Whale, Room on the Broom and The Highway Rat.
The brand-new attraction will include different play zones suitable for children under 10, with a toddler play area that’s specifically-designed for those under three.
ADVERTISEMENT
New £2.3 million Gruffalo & Friends interactive attraction to open in Blackpool / Credit: Magic Light Pictures
“We are incredibly excited to bring some of the UK’s best loved children’s characters to Blackpool,” said Kate Shane – Regional Director for Merlin Entertainments.
“Blackpool is the UK’s number one family seaside resort and this latest partnership with a globally recognised brand will provide compelling new reasons for visitors to come to Blackpool.
“The Gruffalo and other characters from the world of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler will be amongst brilliant company alongside our already strong cluster of family attractions on the resort.”
ADVERTISEMENT
Creators of the attraction say it’ll be “an indoor play adventure like no other” / Credit: Magic Light Pictures
She also said the attraction and the significant investment into the town “further supports Merlin’s strategic growth plans”, and will bring even more job opportunities and economic benefit to the local community and wider North West region.
The new Gruffalo & Friends Clubhouse is set to take shape next door to SEA LIFE Blackpool, and will join Merlin Entertainment’s seven other attractions in Blackpool, as part of the company’s plan to make the town a “destination for families of all ages from both the UK and abroad”
The attraction will open its doors in May 2023.
Featured Image – Magic Light Pictures
Trending
Stockport County’s Christmas dinner in a cup returns for 2025 as part of new festive food range
Danny Jones
We can’t believe it’s rolled around again already, but with the festive period well underway and the big day just a few weeks away, Stockport County have brought back their viral ‘Xmas dinner in a cup’for 2025.
Better still, the County Courtyard has seen some new Christmas specials added to its food menu, too.
The local football club are absolutely flying in League One at the moment, having spent plenty of time at the top of the table already and still well and truly contesting those promotion/play-off spots.
If you’re a Stopfordian, that’s plenty of cause for celebration right there, but with the Christmas dinner in a cup also up for grabs once more, the holiday season literally couldn’t taste any better right now.
For those who’ve never seen it before, it’s exactly what it says on the tin – well, cup: a little Sunday dinner in a County-branded takeaway coffee cup, complete with a healthy pour of gravy and pretty much all the trimmings you could hope for.
Yes, including sprouts, because all of you who still don’t touch them need to grow up already.
Currently priced at just £4.50, not only does it contain virtually all the major food groups (barring the customary matchday pints, of course), it might just be one of the healthiest and best value-for-money bits of footy scran around – certainly in Greater Manchester, anyway.
But, as mentioned, that’s not all this year; Stockport are also serving up the new festive hot dog and even a ‘leftover Christmas curry’ in a bowl, which might even be more warming on a cold night at Edgeley Park than the Xmas dinner in a cup or clinging onto a flask of Bovril.
Anyone else craving that curry with a cheeky bit of bubble and squeak now?
It’s also worth noting that you’ll only be able to get one of those on Boxing Day, by the way, when the Hatters host Lincoln City in the league.
As for the rest of it, County fans can get their hands on this seasonal scran for the first time this year at the weekend when Dave Challinor’s side take on Barnsley at 12:30pm, and two of the three specials will then be served at home every game over the holiday period.
Speaking of random Christmas food creations, there’s another limited-time-only and potentially divisive example that we’ll also be sampling this December…
Aldi has launched the world’s first lickable pigs in blankets wrapping paper… for some reason
Emily Sergeant
Aldi has launched its latest Christmas creation, and this one’s arguably wackier than anything else it’s brought out before.
There’s absolutely no denying that pigs in blankets are a staple of festive feasting, with millions of the little delicacies consumed throughout the UK each Christmas, but have you ever wished you could turn the taste of those pigs in blankets into a lickable wrapping paper to wrap all this year’s gifts in? Yeah probably not… Aldi‘s made it though.
It’s anticipated that more than 561 million pigs in blankets are going to be eaten over the festive period, new research has found, which is an average of 10 per person.
But if you just can’t bare to leave the taste of pigs in blankets behind, Aldi’s new wrapping paper is set to give shoppers a fun and tasty twist when it comes to gift-giving.
The limited-edition wrapping paper is inspired by Aldi’s very-own range of pigs in blankets, and is described as capturing the smoky, savoury flavour and smell of the festive treat, with stickers that peel back to reveal a truly unique ‘lickable’ experience.
Aldi has launched the world’s first lickable pigs in blankets wrapping paper / Credit: Simon Jacobs/PA Wire (via Aldi UK)
Not only does the novelty wrapping paper taste and smells like pigs in blankets, it also looks the part on presents too with its pastel pink design, festive holly, and snowflake patterns.
“Pigs in Blankets are a highlight of the festive season… so we wanted to create something special to celebrate the Christmas classic,” commented Julie Ashfield, who is the Chief Commercial Officer at Aldi UK, as the new creation launches.
“This unique, lickable wrapping paper is the perfect way to spread extra joy on Christmas Day.”
Want to get your hands on it then? Unfortunately, it won’t be as simple as popping to your nearest Aldi store and picking up a roll, as with a creation as unique as this, there’s only going to be limited stock and a special shopper competition to win it.
To be in with a chance of winning, you simply need to email [email protected] with your full name before the deadline at 11:59pm on 1 December.
Emily Sergeant -
22nd February 2023 
