Bradford garden centre celebrates the wonder of Christmas with the Salvation Army band

An award winning Bradford garden centre will launch its Christmas season with an evening celebration featuring theBradford CitadelSalvation Army band later this month.

Tong Garden Centre's annual Christmas celebration evening will take place on Thursday, October 11, from 4pm until 9pm.

Visitors will be welcomed with a free glass of wine and home-made mince pies until 6.30pm and will get 15% off all retail purchases. There will also be a free prize draw to win £100 worth of Tong Gift Vouchers plus a festive afternoon tea for two.

Commercial Director Sharon McNair said there was an overwhelming response from visitors to the centre's Celebration of Christmas event last year.

"It was wonderful to see Tong full of people keen to see the latest Christmas displays and being tempted by our extensive  range of inspiring gift ideas to suit all pockets.

She added: "In its heyday, people came from miles around to experience the wonder of Tong at Christmas. Over the last three years, the team at Tong has worked hard to recreate the old sparkle and sense of nostalgia and we're very excited about our plans to deliver a fantastic family Christmas experience again this year.

"We're delighted that the Salvation Army band will be playing throughout the evening, as there's nothing like a traditional brass band to herald the start of Christmas."

Visitors will also be able to book tickets for a VIPbackstage pass onTong's Arctic Tour whereSanta's personal assistants will take children behind the scenes in this never-before-seen grand tour of the grotto. Entry to the Grotto costs £12.50 per child and £6.25 for children under 12 months, except for the opening weekend on 17^thand 18^thNovember, when pre-booked tickets are £10.00 and £5.00 respectively. You can book online atwww.tonggardencentre.co.uk

All of the concessions at Tong will be open until 9pm and the restaurant will be serving supper until 7.00pm.

Tong Garden Centre is one of Yorkshire's biggest garden centres with 110,000 square feet of retail space and parking for up to 1,000 cars.

Ends

Photo: L-RTasleem Malik, Dennis Keen and Emily Edmond look forward to welcoming you to Tong The team at Tong's Christmas event

For more information or to arrange an interview with Sharon McNair,please contact Tracey Baty at three60 marketing on:

Direct line:01430 871360

Mobile:07971 961574

E mail:traceybaty@three60marketing.co.uk

Web:www.three60marketing.co.uk

Notes to editors

1. 15% off will not apply in The Restaurant and selected concessions or the purchase of event tickets, gift vouchers, special offers and non-stock items.
2. For more information about Tong Garden Centre, please visit www.tonggardencentre.co.uk and see the centre's Facebook, Twitter,Instagram and news online.
3. Tong Garden Centre is one of the largest independent garden centres in Yorkshire, located near Bradford in West Yorkshire. It occupies a 17-acre site near Tong village. An outdoor plant department and shopping departments filled with garden furniture, gifts, home accessories and leading brands spread across 110,000 square feet of retail space. Also on-site is the Coffee Shop, Orchard Restaurant, children's outdoor adventure playground Grass Hoppers and a newly refurbished food hall.
4. Tong Garden Centre recently triumphed at the North East and North West regional Garden Centre Association (GCA) awards with a haul of five awards: Garden Centre of the Year in Destination Garden Centre Category; the Dick Allen award for the Most Improved Centre; the ifse Award for Catering Excellence for Best Garden Centre Restaurant; the Gima Award for Best Garden Products retailer 2017 and the Outdoor Living Award for Best Outdoor Living Retailer.