It's coming...

Christmas, that is, to New Lanark.

The Visitor Centre is gearing up for its festive season, with the dark ride, The Annie McLeod Experience, morphing into The Spirit of Christmas ride this weekend.

During my time as New Lanark's Development Officer I was heavily involved in the creation of both the original 'Annie McLeod Experience' in 1989-90 and in its transformation to 'The Spirit of Christmas', in 1991. In those early days of the modern Visitor Centre there was some criticism of the 'Disneyfication' of the historic site, but developing New Lanark as a populist visitor attraction was essential for its survival. As an independent charity it didn't have a National Trust or Historic Scotland to lean on, it had to pay its way. It was a hard slog to close the ride at 5pm, and reopen in Christmas mode at 11am the next day! All hands on deck until the early hours, but it was worth it.

I took this shot at 9am as I was heading down for my morning's cataloguing. The Search Room had a visit from 15 members of the local archaelogical society, so we didn't get as much done as we normally do. Routine afternoon, shopping, blipping, getting Iain to the train, and now just thinking about dinner, and whether I should light the stove...