I would recommend a print copy, since the pictures in this are wonderful, but if you have an iPad, you won’t miss out on the lovely colours this offers. I was four years old when my family first moved from Hong Kong to Britain in the 90s. Not knowing much English at first made everything difficult, but I was introduced to the world of Raymond Briggs via The Snowman one Christmas, a story that requires no words. Raymond Briggs was definitely a gamechanger: his stories were funny, sad and thought-provoking, all at the same time, without any of the usual Disney glitz.

John Ronald Reuel Tolkien: writer, artist, scholar, linguist. Known to millions around the world as the author of The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien spent most of his life teaching at the University of Oxford where he was a distinguished academic in the fields of Old and Middle English and Old Norse. His creativity, confined to his spare time, found its outlet in fantasy works, stories for children, poetry, illustration and invented languages and alphabets.We reserve the right to ask guests to leave if we believe their behaviour is adversely affecting the pleasure of our other guests. How there were wars with the troublesome horde of goblins who lived in the caves beneath the house! Can you imagine writing to Father Christmas and actually getting a reply? For more than twenty years, the children of J.R.R. Tolkien received letters from the North Pole - from Father Christmas himself! They told wonderful stories of mischief and disaster, adventures, and battles: how the reindeer got loose and scattered presents all over the place, how the accident-prone Polar Bear climbed the North Pole and fell through the roof of Father Christmas's house, and many others. Joseph Coelho. Photograph: David Levenson/Getty Images Joseph Coelho: ‘A glorious talent in children’s publishing’

The best time to visit Lapland is in winter. Go between December and March to enjoy the stunning snowy landscapes. You’ll get to make the most of outdoor activities that you can only do at this time of year. You can’t just add a character halfway through a story” said a friend of the family when I showed them one of my first story attempts as a child. I had studiously traced a spread from Briggs’s Fungus the Bogeyman and was trying to insert my own words to accompany his brilliant illustrations. The comment from the family friend has stayed with me as an unintended guide to writing, to keep the audience in the know, to lead them by the hand.Younger children are allowed into the Santa’s Grotto room ONLY if an additional booking has been made which includes them in the group booking of up to 6 people. Without prior booking online, any additional people, including younger children, will not be allowed into the Santa’s Grotto room. When I heard about the sad loss of Briggs, I felt a wave of grief and loss, the sort of feelings Briggs effortlessly conveyed through his work. He managed to reach into my inner core and wrench out emotions I hadn’t really felt before. Each visit is tailor-made to fit your requirements, whether delivering your presents, turning on the Christmas tree lights, or reading your children their favourite Christmas story. What’s more, visiting Lapland in winter gives you the best opportunities to see the northern lights. At this time of year, the night skies are really dark, which means you can make out the colours of the aurora more clearly. Even though Christmas has become so commercial and not many kids know the true meaning of Christmas, I‘ve always loved the magic of believing in Santa Claus or St. Nicholas or Father Christmas or the other names he’s known as throughout the world. I got to wondering this year whether or not the young children in my life, my two youngest grandchildren and four of my great nephews still believed. Their mothers said they do. I hope so, for one more year at least.