A man from Hartlepool wanted to give his daughter a massive surprise for Christmas - however, he did not count on the surprise being that big.
Father of two, Ray Liddell, 49, bought a 35-foot inflatable Grinch which is bigger than his own house and twice as tall as a giraffe. He ordered it for around £500 for his daughter, Jasmine, without realising its size.
The humongous Grinch has attracted a lot of attention, as one would expect, with around 5,000 people flocking to see it in all its glory. There are lots of incredible photos showing the green Christmas icon towing above Ray's house.
Advert
"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," Ray explains.
In fact, photos of the giant Grinch have been widely shared on social media and families have travelled as far as 40 miles from Morpeth, Northumberland, to catch a glimpse of it and take snaps of their own.
When Ray inflated the Grinch, he was stunned to find it extended 35 feet above his County Durham home.
Ray said: "I only ordered it for my daughter as she loves Grinch. I was delighted with her reaction, let alone that of strangers.
Advert
"Jasmine was just screaming at it like crazy when it was all blown up."
Though the Grinch famously "stole Christmas", this festive season he is giving back (sort of). Ray has decided to use the Grinch's sudden fame to raise money for a local hospice that cared for his father, Frank, until he passed away from Covid-19 in May.
Ray said: "He had a happy life because he had quite a simple life. You never saw him made angry or upset. He was a decent fellow."
He is asking families to donate money to charity and has so far raised £8,000 for the good cause.
"I had always wanted to do something for the hospice but never thought it would be something like this. I thought it would be something simple like a raffle.
Advert
"I wanted this to be ambitious but I was staggered at how much and how quickly these strangers were donating. It really has snowballed.
"It has been good in some many ways. My kids love the decoration and also it is providing a great way to raise money for this great charity."
To find out more and to donate to the hospice, visit the campaign page here.
Featured Image Credit: SWNS