Visiting Father Christmas in Lapland has got a lot more Earth-friendly,as CATHY RANSON and Alex were thrilled to discover

'Is father christmas real,mummy?' - a short sentence but guaranteed to send waves of fear through any parent. There is only one answer to this question, of course, as handed down from generation to generation: 'If you don't believe in him, he won't come!' It's a clever sentence, designed to nip any further questioning in the bud immediately.

At this time of year I'd rather answer the 'Where do babies come from, Mummy?' question than this one. Seriously.

Alexander was seven a few months ago and I want to keep the magic alive as long as possible for him. Seeing your child's face light up on Christmas morning when they know Father Christmas has been to visit them is just magical. Well, that and the daily threat for the previous two months that if they don't behave right now Father Christmas won't bring any presents. He is watching, you know, and he sees and hears everything.

Alex has seen Father Christmas in many places, the most notable encounter being the mall-walking Santa at The Chimes, who gave him a sweet then called him 'fat face' - referring to the logo on Alex's sweatshirt!

We were lucky enough to have an audience with the real Father Christmas this weekend at Lapland UK in Kent. He was just amazing; he had his own long white beard and a plush velvet outfit. Alex was so shocked when he recited the names of his best friends, his teacher's name and even his favourite toys.

The magic had been building all day from when Alex came down to breakfast to find a personalised invitation on the doormat from Father Christmas asking him to go and help at the toy factory as he was a bit behind because so many children had been good this year!

After an hour and a half in the car, we were at Lapland UK, on the Bewl Water estate, near Lamberhurst, for an experience that excluded the big bucks and bigger carbon footprint of a trip north of the Arctic Circle.

Bewl Water has been transformed into an winter wonderland with twinkling lights (go in the afternoon if you can for the full effect), snow, reindeers, huskies and even an ice rink. We started out by helping the elves assemble some rocking horse heads. Alex took this very seriously and took great pride in his toy making.

Next stop was a visit to Mother Christmas to listen to a story, sing a few songs and decorate a very large gingerbread man. Somehow Mother Christmas managed to memorise all the children's names and continually spoke to them by name; a nice touch.

Lunch followed and, although the portions were on the small side, it was nice to get out of the cold for a bit and eat something warm. Alex loves dogs and spotted the beautiful huskies immediately, before heading into the North Pole Post Office to send a letter to Father Christmas. The authentic-looking post office was covered in envelopes from all over the world addressed to Father Christmas - it was amazing to see and killed the time while Alex tried to think about what he'd like for Christmas. Amazingly he only came up with one thing (but of course has thought of about 20 more after a quick flick through the Argos catalogue).

The visit to Father Christmas and ice-skating were the highlights of the day. Alex has finally managed to master skating on his own on this safe, small ice rink.

As day turned into night you could see the true beauty of Lapland UK as the lights on hundreds of snow-covered trees came to life. Real reindeer and huskies added to the magic.

Tickets aren't cheap, starting at £55, but compared with the cost of flying to Finland, it's a bargain! The price includes your meal, squash, all activities and really lovely high-quality gifts for everyone. [2744] To find out more, see www.laplanduk.co.uk.

Tips for your trip to Lapland UK

TAKE hats, gloves and lots of layers as you will be outdoors a lot and even indoors isn't that warm. It's no fun if you're feeling cold!

Why not take a CD of Christmas songs to play in the car on the way down to get you in the mood?

Do stay for the story read by the Saami people, where the reindeer are. It's lovely to sit inside a cosy teepee and enjoy a good story.

If you have a child too young to ice-skate, ask if you can take the buggy on the ice.

We saw quite a few being pushed around by parents wearing skates and the children (and parents) loved it. It is real ice but not slippery.

I know it's a bit mean, but it's much better to confiscate the decorated gingermen until after eating dinner.

DOS

Take a change of clothes for anyone likely to fall over on the ice! Alex came home in his pants with a blanket over his legs as we weren't prepared!

Be prepared to spend some money in the gift shop, but give everyone a budget. Alex chose a pack of Christmas tissues for 25p and a decorated Christmas bauble for £1! There's a good selection of cheaper items available.

Ask for a jug of water in the restaurant if your children don't like squash.

Try to visit the huskies before your visit to Father Christmas, then when your children get their present from him (a beautiful husky soft toy), it will be even more special.

DON'T

Miss the reindeer - they are quite tucked out of the way and easy to miss.

Leave home without spare batteries/film for your camera - there are loads of great photo opportunities.

Leave anything in the car you might want later; it's quite a walk from the car park.

Head home without making sure everyone has a wee. There is only one service station on the M25 on the way back to the borough.