Designer outlet Cheshire Oaks is famed for its sensational Christmas displays.
But, just yards from the brilliantly lit Christmas village and tree that all seems to be forgotten. Anyone crossing over from Cheshire Oaks to the Coliseum Shopping Park, will be shocked by the park's lack of Christmas spirit.
It's got no tree, its got no lights. There's no Santa, either - in fact, there's no evidence that we're counting down the days to Christmas at all, and shoppers are certainly feeling that lack of Christmas spirit, reports Cheshire Live's Jonathan Blackburn.
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The nutcracker stands to attention as shoppers march around Cheshire Oaks, following garlands strung with lights and baubles of red and gold, moving each and every way around one of the UK’s tallest Christmas trees, full of good will and festive spirit as conversation bubbles under festive music.
Less than 100 metres from the tree, the winter village, the carousel and the joy, Christmas appears to have been forgotten.
Shoppers cross over to the neighbouring retail park, the Coliseum, and it could be January. The cold bites harder here, where the bleak midwinter isn't softened by lights or tinsel or music.
The cold bites harder here, where the bleak midwinter isn't softened by lights or tinsel or music.
Just yards from the festive frenzy, there is nothing. Not a single piece of evidence that Christmas is coming, other than the huge Cheshire Oaks tree which can still be seen if you are to stand far back enough in the car park to see over the shops.
"It is a bit drab, isn't it?" Tracy Tittle says, shopping with her family on the Coliseum, Ellesmere Port, after perusing the Oaks. "Even if they were to put things in the trees, that would help.
"With it going dark so early it's nice to have lights," she adds. "It's not Christmas," another shopper tells me. "There's nothing."
"It's quite bare really," says Iola Roberts from North Wales, who had been shopping on the Oaks with her family before moving through to the Coliseum.
"It's like Christmas over there with the tree and the wheel and the decorations everywhere. But, it's a bit poor over here."
"They need to do something," says Kaylie Lockett, who pushes her son in his pram. "He loved it around there [Cheshire Oaks], it's much better."
The Coliseum is owned by the Crown Estate, a corporation belonging to King Charles and overseen by a semi-independent public body.
Seeing as the King is set to play a large part in many people's Christmas Day celebrations – giving his first Christmas speech – why is there such a dearth of festive cheer?
The lack of decorations is not lost on Andy Williams, assistant manager at The Entertainer's Coliseum store. He said: "There was a massive tree years back, right on the other side of the car park.
"A few years ago there was a green light, too, but it was a bit sad. It highlighted the lack of anything else."
A spokesperson for The Crown Estate said it was "always exploring the most effective ways to promote Coliseum Shopping Park and currently have a focus on digital marketing". They added that "service charge costs at the Coliseum Shopping Park cover the general running of the Park", for example health and safety, maintenance, and cleaning.
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