00:01For many families, a visit to Fenwick's Christmas window is a part of the season's routine,
00:05as familiar as the lights and decorations around Newcastle City Centre.
00:09The Department Store's 2026 display continues a tradition of animated festive storytelling
00:13that began more than half a century ago, with the latest scenes now on show along Northumberland Street.
00:20And it's the Gruffalo's child this year.
00:23Well, it's that build-up to Christmas, isn't it?
00:25It's the first thing that happens related to Christmas.
00:28Everybody's looking forward to it.
00:29What will it be this year?
00:31And then Halloween's over and it's the next thing, isn't it?
00:34Well, it's a lot of Gruffalo's in it, isn't it?
00:36And snakes and sort of various other animals like squirrels and things like that.
00:41So, yeah, yeah, it's very good.
00:43Keeps everyone amused.
00:44As you can see, it seems to be mainly children and pensioners.
00:47So, but it will change.
00:49It's a tradition that happens that everyone comes.
00:51Everyone knows it's coming on and it's a sign of Christmas.
00:54Yeah.
00:55Well, as we walked down Haymarket last night on our way back from a day out,
00:59we saw the fact they were getting ready for the opening.
01:02So we knew it was going to be exciting.
01:05And then I saw it on Facebook, what the windows were.
01:08So we came to have a look.
01:09It has to be our first thing on the agenda.
01:11Yes, I mean, the Gruffalo, wonderful character to choose.
01:14Love the story.
01:15And they've done a fantastic job.
01:17Yeah, all the detail is amazing.
01:20Fenix says its Christmas window tradition began in 1971
01:23when the Newcastle Store first presented an animated display.
01:27Since then, the windows have taken inspiration from children's television,
01:30classic stories and well-known festive characters.
01:33Past themes have included Camberwick Green, Pinocchio, Paddington,
01:37Beatrix Potter and the Snowman.
01:38The 2025 display was based on Charles Dickens' A Christmas Carol.
01:43For 2026, the new Gruffalo's Child installation was unveiled on Sunday,
01:47November the 1st, with a reveal streamed online.
01:50I can't remember any of the biggest.
01:52We're from West York.
01:53We're now from Leeds.
01:54And even the big stores there don't do it on this scale.
01:58But if it brings customers in, you know.
02:02Well, you've got to bring someone along to look, haven't you?
02:05I mean, it's no good me as a pensioner looking and saying,
02:07oh, yeah, it's great.
02:08You've got to have a small person with you.
02:10Yeah.
02:10Really nice to see how really cleverly designed the tickets.
02:15They're so talented, the people that do this window.
02:18It's just amazing, isn't it?
02:19Really, really lovely.
02:21Well, we only moved up here last year.
02:23So we saw last year's one with the Christmas Carol.
02:26And that was just, we've never seen anything like it.
02:28And this is just as good.
02:30Just amazing.
02:32And, you know, good old Ruffalo.
02:33Oh, this is just brilliant.
02:36Really brilliant, yeah.
02:37And you see everybody that's walking past and looking in the window.
02:41They're all smiling.
02:42They all love it.
02:43No matter how old you are, you enjoy, you know,
02:46something nice and traditional and Christmassy.
02:50Visitors can see the display on North Umland Street
02:52throughout the festive season,
02:53keeping along running Newcastle tradition,
02:56part of the city's Christmas celebrations.
