SHOPPERS in St Stephen’s were recently treated to a visit from the beloved Spit the Dog, Daisy the Cow and a giant beanstalk along with the famous Christopher Biggins and Bob Carolgees.

The centre was filled with all the traditional glitter and glitz that surrounds these much loved characters as the cast of this year’s Christmas pantomime marched around the centre to meet the city’s residents.

But there was an extra special dimension to the visit as two families from the Hull charity Sunshine House were presented with free tickets to the Christmas event.

Centre manager Jim Harris says: “There was a real buzz in the centre as the characters paraded down the High Street and it was a really fun way to launch the pantomime. We’re also delighted for the families at Sunshine House that will be treated to a free performance. The team at St Stephen’s, along with many other businesses in Hull, work hard throughout the year to raise funds for this very special charity who do a fantastic job in supporting the families of children with life-limiting illnesses.”

Andy Barber from The Smile Foundation on behalf of Sunshine House says: “Sunshine House is one of the main charities that The Smile Foundation supports. We work with local businesses to encourage them to assist with the challenges local charities are facing. We know that Sunshine House are very grateful for the pantomime tickets and we will be presenting them to the families next month.”   Jack and the Beanstalk is Hull’s largest-selling pantomime and will run this year at Hull New Theatre from Thursday December 5th to Sunday January 5th 2014.

Lesley Downie from Qdos Entertainment says: “The work undertaken by The Smile Foundation is vital and Sunshine House makes such a difference to seriously ill children and their families at the most difficult times in their lives - we are more than happy to be supporting this worthwhile cause. The Hull New Theatre panto is a great Christmas tradition for a lot of people, and for many children it is their first experience of live theatre – we are delighted to share this magical experience with the families.”