A LOLLIPOP lady has been keeping the kids at Stanmore School entertained ahead of the holidays with her version of elf on the shelf.
Jackie Jones, 64, decorates the hedge outside the school, in Stanmore Lane, every day in December until the Christmas holidays with a different magical scene.
The school crossing patrol officer of seven years was inspired to start the festive tradition about five or six years ago when she lost her hat and it was left on the green, opposite the school, for her the next morning.
One child went to pick it up before Jackie said, “be careful there’s an elf sleeping under there” and the boy’s eyes lit up.
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From that point on, Jackie has been helping elves Crystal and Sparkle every morning and afternoon in the run up to the Christmas break.
Displays have included the elves travelling in by umbrella, hot air balloon and even a rocket ship as well as a grotto on the last day of term.
@jackiemannalljones ♬ let it snow - christmas music !! 🎅🏻🎄
Jackie, who lives in Valley Court, said: “I don’t know where I get my ideas from sometimes. I usually plan what I’m doing the night before, my living room looks like the elves have set off an explosion. I put a lot of effort in.
“The kids get really annoyed sometimes when their parents are in a hurry and drag them past.
“Every year I think I’m fed up with this but this year because I don’t know if we will be around in a couple years I decided to go big.
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“The kids have caught me before so I now have a ‘sleigh licence’ which means I can help the elves. I video it too and put it on Facebook and TikTok to see if I can give anyone else any ideas.
“Every year I buy new stuff, I can’t help it. I get as much fun out of it as the children. Even if only one child’s eyes light up, it’s worth it.
“Now I’ve been doing it a while some parents take photos for their kids at secondary school for them to see what the elves are up to. They know it’s me but it’s so lovely that they still want to know what’s going on.”
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