Father Christmas in KENT – Ticket Terms & Conditions 2020
Your Father Christmas Visit – Rules of engagement for Christmas 2020
In regard to your Father Christmas visit in our Log Cabin, please remember the Government rules for this year, the Rule of Six or your own family bubble if an extended bubble applies, your face mask if you are an adult, indoors or out, children under 11 do not need a face mask while in our Log Cabin, gloves are optional for parents and children, 1m rules applies within the Log Cabin from Father Christmas, 2m for adults.
Parents must try to stay towards the rear of the Log Cabin or sit at least 2m from Father Christmas on our bench/s.
Ventilation will be supplied by opening at least one or two windows to help air flow whilst visiting. Our Log Cabin is 18sq meters so not a small space.
Entrance Protocols
Our Front of House elves will administer their COVID-19 protocol checks to make sure everyone is well and able to visit before releasing you to see Father Christmas.
You will be asked on arrival the following
- Does anyone in their party have any of the following corona virus symptoms:
- a high temperature
- a new, continuous cough
- a loss of, or change to, your sense of smell or taste
- Please sanitise your hands before entering our Father Christmas event and also when you exit
- Please adhere to Social Distancing Floor Stickers/Signs
- All of our staff at the experience will be wearing a gingerbread mask or visor and gloves
- We have Track & Trace app at the reception area for you to scan on arrival
- We shall be asking all customers over the age of 11 to wear a mask during their visit to our Father Christmas
- As part of the NHS Test and Trace guidelines we shall be securely storing all booking data for 21 days as collected at the booking point which includes a contact number and e-mail address
All children must be accompanied by an adult/s to every Father Christmas visit, there are no exceptions. In the event only adults would like to see Father Christmas then this is permitted but the relevant child charge applies. Christmas event admission fees: Children ages 1-16 £18.50, under 1’s are free with a full paying child. (but do not receive a gift) Adults are £3.00 when accompanying a paying child. A minimum charge applies of £18.50 if children are under one without a full paying child.
E-Tickets
Pre-booked E-Tickets brought on-line must be printed and bought with you at least 10 minutes prior to the start of your Father Christmas session time. Without this proof of payment and E-Ticket your visit may be compromised.
Our resident Front of House elf will have a pre-booked day sheet and if on this list no ticket will need to be shown on arrival.
Please note: You may have to queue to show these tickets so allow plenty of time. If you are late for your allocated timeslot you may miss your appointment and, unfortunately, we cannot offer a refund as we cannot re-book your ticket at such late notice.
Day Tickets
There may be the odd space on the day depending on how busy Father Christmas is so you are welcome to ask the question to our resident Front of House elf and he or she may be able to advise you if there is any possibility of fitting you in. Cash, credit and debit cards accepted on the day.
We strongly advise booking in advance to avoid any disappointment as tickets are extremely limited due to Covid-19 restrictions.
Weather
Our Father Christmas Concession is open in all weathers so please dress accordingly. There is no Log Cabin waiting area for 2020 due to Covid-19 and Government restrictions for 2020. Our huge gazebo sail will offer some cover/shelter if rain prevails.
Refunds, Exchanges, Cancellations, Transfers (Covid-19 Update 28 October 2020)
If we find it necessary to close our Christmas experience for any reason including Covid-19 related circumstances, we will offer you one of the following options:
- If the Govenment enforces a second lockdown/circuit breaker on the British Public an offer of another date in our calendar. (if available)
- An offer of a Full Refund via the same method of payment. Refunds would be made in full within 14 days of the lockdown date being enforced.
- The option to book an alternative ZOOM session. (subject to availability).
Due to the current Covid-19 Pandemic and Government changing guidelines, we reserve the right to cancel our event at short notice. If legislation changes in such a way that we have to make alterations to the way we operate our Christmas experience, but we are still able to remain open, then a refund will not be administered.
Once booked on-line, refunds are only applicable if Calverley Park, Tunbridge Wells is closed due to the following unforeseen circumstances:
- Closure due to Health & Safety reasons (Covid-19 restrictions)
- Technical problems which cannot be resolved meaning we cannot run our event
- Extreme weather conditions i.e. Heavy Snow, flooding, or dangerously high winds
Tickets are transferable to a different date as long as we are advised accordingly by e-mail or telephone at least 48 hours before hand, subject to availability. (two days) In the event of a sold-out date or event, tickets cannot be transferred for the current event or future years.
Any sessions that are cancelled due to extreme weather will be rescheduled on the next available day if possible. If in the event of extreme weather and a reschedule cannot be arranged a full refund will be given via PayPal or via the original method of payment?
If you are late for your allocated time-slot or cannot make your session, unfortunately we cannot offer a refund but maybe able to re-book you in subject to availability. (not in the event of a SOLD-OUT experience)
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Cancellation due illness or Covid-19 symptoms on arrival
- If you arrive at our reception entrance with corona virus symptoms you will be refused entry to the experience and will not receive a refund as we cannot re-book the ticket at such late notice.
- Unfortunately, we cannot change booking time-slots and cannot provide refunds for appointments missed due to Covid-19 related circumstances/symptoms.
- Refunds are not given for any illnesses except in extreme circumstances where we would honour your booking with a transferred ticket to our 2021 event.
Accessibility
Calverley Park is accessible to disabled visitors. Full address:
Tunbridge Wells Ice-rink
Calverley Park
Mount Pleasant Ave
Royal Tunbridge Wells
Kent
TN1 1RS
Our Father Christmas study has a wide entrance for wheelchair users however, due to space; we can only accommodate a maximum of two wheelchairs per Father Christmas visit.
Personal Belongings
We cannot be held responsible for any belongings left unattended.
Photography & Videography
Photography is allowed for 2020 due to restrictions not allowing us to safely and easily take professional photographs. Videography is not permitted within our Log Cabin.
Booking Fees
There is a small £1.50 booking fee applicable with every checkout payment to cover administration costs.
Contact number for emergencies on the day:
07877 871715 or 01892 523693
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VERY IMPORTANT NOTICE/S:
Professional Photography
Our policy on Professional Photographs in our Log Cabin is that we cannot take professional photographs without breaking and violating safety and social distancing protocols set by Government Guidelines and it is advisable, and safer, to refrain from breaking the 1m Covid-19 restrictions so we will not risk our customer/s safety.
We also feel children and families cannot get close enough at this time (sub 1m) to warrant classic family and portrait style images of their meeting with Father Christmas so we are taking the Government advice and are not taking any risks so keeping our Father Christmas visit very safe and Covid-19 secure. (many Grottos are risking the safety of the family and children)
We have been alerted that other ‘Christmas Grottos’ are classing the ‘Grotto’ as a ‘Photographic Studio’ and this is blatantly breaking and bending/twisting the law and the safety of all children and families especially anyone shielding.
To be allowed to take off your mask/visor and be allowed in close proximity to Father Christmas is a danger to everyone in such a limited space and we will not risking breaking Health & Safety guidelines by subjecting our visitors to such risks.
We take all Covid-19 protocols with great care and will not risk the health of any of our customers in this very strange and testing Christmas season.
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Father Christmas Home & Street Visits, ZOOM appointments
Home Visits can go ahead even if full lockdown or Circuit breaker rule is brought in as it does not apply to professional workers.
As professional workers, our Father Christmas & Elf helper are not part of any bubble numbers or the ‘Rule of Six’, Government rules for professional workers.
Changes in law from 22 Sept 2020 – Rule 5.3
Can professional work gatherings exceed 6 persons?
Work gatherings are exempt from the gatherings limit of 6. Where a group includes someone who is working, they are not counted as part of the gatherings limit. This means a professional tradesperson can go into a household of six without breaching the limit, if they are there for work reasons including performance acting and business work related reasons.
So, the good news is a full lockdown does not affect us at all in-line with the last lockdown in April 2020 and this is the wording used:
Previous lockdown measures, you could only leave your home if shopping for food, a medical reason, or, if you could not work from home you go to work as normal.
If the government brings in a circuit breaker enforcement rule or a full lockdown workers/professional workers will still be allowed to go to work if they cannot work from home.
This is us absolutely covers us for Home & Street Visits plus ZOOM from our Log Cabin regardless of any measures enforced.
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Face Masks
Father Christmas (as a professional actor/artist) is on the exempt list from wearing a face mask or shield whilst conducting his meeting/appointment but will keep to the strict 1m rule from all children.
His exemption is in-line with professional workers such as the police, teachers, and actors while he is undertaking his role/activity and it would negatively impact on his ability to do so.
To put on or remove any face covering without displacing the costume and ruining the illusion of the activity which relies on clear sound and facial expression especially for families with special needs.
If you would like Father Christmas to wear a face shield or mask for his visit then it may be better for him to conduct his visit from your doorstep rather than spoil any illusion to smaller persons.
All other staff accompanying Father Christmas will be wearing PPE