Today we were all awake pretty early because we were all looking forward to our annual Santa Train trip for the second time.

Every Year my mum, sister, and I take the kids to see Santa on the train. The trip takes about an hour and a half.

The train leaves Buckfastleigh and goes to Totnes and back again.

We arrived at Buckfastleigh station around 11.30.

We went into the shop to look at the South Devon Railway, Hornby trains, and Thomas the Tank Engine merchandise.

The kids picked out some balls for the Christmas tree with James and Percy on from Thomas the Tank Engine.

We sat down and had a nice cup of hot chocolate before boarding the train.

When we boarded the train a member of staff took us to our seats.

Not long after we sat down and left the station, the staff came round with biscuits and fruit shoots for the children and mince pies and a choice of non-alcoholic or alcoholic mulled wine.

My sister and I decided to have a glass of alcoholic mulled wine and my mum had the non-alcoholic punch.

After consuming my mince pie and mulled wine, it was time to take the kids to Santa’s Grotto.

My sister and I took the kids through several train carriages to get to Santa in a dark room at the end of the train.

The windows were covered up with curtains.

The kids were asked by Santa their age and then asked if they would like their photo taken with Santa.

I quickly took a few pictures because there was a queue of people waiting behind us.

When we got back to our seats, the kids unwrapped their presents.

My niece received a soft lamb and my nephew received a fire engine, which makes noise. (So much for peace this Christmas!)

I was disappointed because the kids had been building up to this trip for a few months and for the money that we paid, it was very much like a production line, and the kid’s time and interaction with Santa was limited.

Once we sat down, Dr. Foster came round for a few minutes and mum won a sweet for remembering his rhyme.

Unlike, last year he didn’t stay for long and there was no Christmas music playing in the background.

When we arrived in Totnes there were a few bookstalls and we watched the train come in to take up back to South Devon railway at Buckfastleigh.

Some children were allowed to climb into the front of the steam train, however, there were lots of children who were also waiting to have a look.

On the back way back there wasn’t much entertainment.

Last year there was Christmas music playing in the background and more carol singing.

This year, there was one song (We Wish You a Merry Christmas), followed by a brief visit from the magician.

We went back to the café for some food, but when we went to put our order in we were told that they had stopped serving food at 2.30pm and the time was 2.40pm.

We were about to leave the table we were sat at when the cooks came over and apologized and said that they were happy to take our order.

We ordered toasties and cheesy chips for the children and some drinks for all of us.

The young lads who served us also apologized for telling us that they had stopped ordering food and that they didn’t realize that they were serving until 3pm.

Before we left the kids went on the Thomas ride on the train and the James ride on the train outside the café and shop.

When we arrived home the kids had a pig-out, had a bath, danced around the room to Christmas tunes, I read them a story (Christmas in Puddle Lane), which our mum used to read to me and my sister when we were younger and they finally went to bed.

We aren’t sure whether we will go on the same Santa Train trip next year because my niece will be 7 years old and she says that she wants to go on the Polar Express trip next year.

However, my nephew will only be 4, so we will have to wait and see what we think next year.

For the last couple of years, we had also been going to Buckfastleigh for the Thomas the Tank Engine train ride, my nephew is obsessed with Thomas the Tank Engine and wants to go and my niece says she also wants to go again but my sister doesn’t want to go, so again, we will have to see in a few months time when the tickets go on sale.

Have you been on a Santa Train Trip this year?

Have you taken the kids to visit Santa?

Send a tweet to@AdminChick.