I COULDN'T agree more with the recent letter from Mrs A Wood ('Sleigh were the days', August 18).

I too have happy memories of going to York Co-op/Victoria House Christmas grotto. I recall being told how the grotto had been taken to the Co-op in Manchester but that it had been dismantled because it was no longer serviceable.

There is one point that Mrs Wood makes that I cannot agree with, however. Not all shops put up naff grottos just to make a quick profit.

I took my children to the marvellous grotto at Monks Cross Shopping Park last Christmas and while it didn't have the ride like the old Victoria House grotto, it came a close second for the sheer delight on my kids' faces as they wandered through the winter wonderland to a giant snowman which almost reached the roof.

Inside this impressive structure was a very real-looking Father Christmas. I almost believed he was the genuine article with his natural white beard and portly build, but best of all they only charge me £1 per child and then give all the profits to a children's charity.

I urge Mrs Wood to take her grandchildren to Monks Cross this Christmas, you will be impressed.

Mrs J Dennis,

Bempton Lane, Bridlington.

...I AM York born and bred and I was brought up on the magic of Christmas at Victoria House.

Now that I am responsible for all things Christmas at Monks Cross Shopping Park, I last year tried to re-live the dream by bringing back the glorious grotto of my youth.

My attempt to locate the mechanical grotto ride started and ended at Victoria House in Harrogate where the manager told me the grotto had been taken across to a Co-op warehouse in Lancashire but had been laid to rest because it had all seized up and was not worth repairing.

In my bid to at least capture the essence of what was once the best grotto in the land, I had a huge 20ft high snowman grotto built and set it in a winter wonderland filled with lots of animatronic figures and animals.

You will not find an MDF grotto at Monks Cross Shopping Park, Mrs Wood - but you will find thousands of very happy children and a few happy big kids such as me.

Mark Brayshaw,

Marketing & Events Consultant,

Fewston Drive, York.

Updated: 11:52 Saturday, August 25, 2001