A British man who thought it would be nice to surprise his daughter with an inflatable Grinch for Christmas got more than he bargained for when it was delivered and he realized it was nearly 35 feet tall. Ray Liddell from Hartlepool, County Durham, certainly surprised 7-year-old Jasmine, but she wasn’t the only one who got a shock when the decoration was erected.
Massive thanks to Alice House Patrons @JBRecycling Patrons, for their generous sponsorship of the Grinch, on Park Avenue in Hartlepool, which is currently raising money for local Hospice patients. #GrowYourHartFund @VikkiJacksonSm2 https://t.co/3q7sDgZMA8… pic.twitter.com/ItXcxPx6Jc
— Alice House Hospice (@AliceHouseHosp) December 2, 2020
- To be fair, it did cost $670. Liddell admittedly paid out £500 ($670) for his inflatable Grinch, so surely he must have known that it was somewhat sizeable, right? Otherwise, he has a pretty warped vision of how much holiday decor should cost!
- People from all around have been coming by to see it. As you can imagine, a giant 35-foot inflatable Grinch is going to draw spectators, and Liddell estimates that about 5,000 people must have already come by to see it. “It’s a total picture of positivity. People are coming from all over to have their photos taken,” he said, according to The Mirror. “There was a queue on Sunday morning. I made sure everyone was socially distanced. I reckon we must have had over 5,000 people visit. It’s been a real marvel so far.”
- The reactions he’s gotten have been priceless. Because 2020 has been such a terrible year, any little bit of happiness and positivity is a good thing, and Liddell is glad that more people than just Jasmine are enjoying it. “I only ordered it for my daughter as she loves Grinch. I was delighted with her reaction, let alone that of strangers,” he said. “Jasmine was just screaming at it like crazy when it was all blown up.”
- Liddell is using the Grinch’s popularity to raise money for a good cause. While he welcomes anyone who would like to come by and see the inflatable, he asks that those who visit donate money to the local hospice. At the time of writing, he’d already raised more than £20,000 ($26,800). Well done!
Thought this might cheer everyone up. A hartlepool dad has installed a huge 35 foot inflatable Grinch on his house to raise money for Alice House Hospice. People have come from far and wide to see it with their children, have their photo taken and donate to the hospice! pic.twitter.com/4JQbbLx0E0
— Lauren temple (@Laurent69079439) November 29, 2020
