‘Drunk I bought a Santa taller than my house’

A beloved Christmas tradition started in a North Yorkshire village due to a drunken man’s mistake.

Peter Routledge was shopping online after a festive season four years ago and immediately realized he had made a huge mistake.

He bought an inflatable Santa that is actually bigger than his house in Poppleton.

It soon became the talk of the village, but now Mr Routledge, along with his wife Katy, use the decoration as a force for good.

Mrs Routledge said: “It brings a lot of joy to the village and also a lot of joy to the people of York. They also do some good work for charity and we also collect food for a local food bank “

Local residents gather to see the giant Santa and one resident says: “We live really locally so we’ve been coming to see him for the last few years and the children get really excited when we drive past Let’s go.”

Another said the inflatable was a major factor in their purchase of their own home. She said: “When we moved here about two years ago, we saw in the press that it existed.

“My husband and I are big Christmas fans, so that was a huge deciding factor for us in picking a house as well.”

Mrs Routledge said: “People are very generous and people love coming to see it.”

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