Santa made a very special collection last night (Tuesday 12th December), ahead of all his deliveries, as he helped the Kent & East Sussex Railway pick up an Event of the Year award for their Santa Specials at the Beautiful South Awards for Excellence.
Taking time out of his very busy pre-Christmas schedule, which includes appearances on the award-winning Santa Specials trains, he joined General Manager Robin Coombes to lift a prestigious Bronze trophy at the ceremony in Brighton.
A decades-old Christmas tradition based in Kent, the Santa Specials are enjoyed by generations of families from around the country and regularly carry upwards of 14,000 passengers every December.
General Manager Robin Coombes said:
“It was a great honour on behalf of the whole K&ESR family to collect, with Santa, an award for our Santa Specials. Our Santa Specials have been developed over many years to provide a truly family-orientated magical experience. They are complex and intense to operate but this award recognises just how good they are.”
He also paid tribute to the hundreds of volunteers who help to run the event and make it such a success:
“I want to acknowledge the exceptional dedication of those who go above and beyond, particular the long hours worked by many, often with modesty, simply stating, ‘It’s what we do!’ I extend my sincere gratitude to each and every volunteer for their extra-ordinary effort and unwavering dedication: our Santa Specials simply would not work without them.”
To celebrate the excellence award, the Kent & East Sussex Railway has released a limited number of additional seats on its remaining Santa Specials which run for the next two weekends up to and including Christmas Eve.
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