FOR those looking to get into the festive spirit, one York business has brought a classic Christmas like no other to the city.
The Press visited The Imaginarium in Blake Street this week to see what the shop’s Christmas Room had to offer for those attempting to capture a bit of York’s holiday spirit to take to their own home.
Open from the end of August onwards, the Christmas Room offers Christmassy joy at any time of year but truly shines in the festive season by offering a treasure trove of decorations, baubles, and anything festive that a person may need.
With different themes each year, owners Marcus Doyle and Warren Booth have attempted to recreate the look of a classic Christmas ‘with a hint of sparkles’.
Baubles vary in price from £2.50 up to £12.50, with a wide variety of other items on offer from a dancing cacti to traditional wood carousels.
Marcus shared the pair’s Christmas vision saying: “Christmas is a challenging time for people, the world’s not brilliant out there, so we like to tell a story.
“I can’t lie, it’s commercial and we are trying to run a business, but we do like to tell a story, put a bit of theatrics into retail, and keep it interesting for people.
“We often stand and listen to people in here – it’s so nice, especially when you’ve had a hard day. You can hear people saying oh I come here every year, we just get one bauble, but it’s that one bauble that keeps you going.”
The room (which is featured on the window) includes a full window display, balloons, and a model train weaving through a display of villages (created by Monk Bar Models who help to maintain the rail service).
Marcus also praised the shop’s incredible staff, including one member of staff who comes back from Spain each year to help out in the Christmas room and who juggle their backroom alongside the normal Imaginarium.
