Meadowhall: Beloved Christmas bears unveiled on The Avenue in nostalgic gift from the 1990s
People asked – and Meadowhall delivered much-loved bears for Christmas, all the way from the 1990s.
A family of bears was unveiled in an impressive festive display on The Avenue due to overwhelming demand, centre director Darren Pearce said.
Part of their appeal was that they harked back to a simpler time – although they were cutting edge animatronics at the time, he added.
Meadowhall had tried to install some other bears but customers weren’t having it, Mr Pearce said.
Then the company that provided them all those years ago, and had kept them in storage, stepped forward with the real thing.
Mr Pearce said: “They were absolutely cutting edge technology and people thought they were the most amazing thing.
“Things have moved on but they are from a simpler time and I think there is something really lovely about that.
“The the emotion they’ve evoked in people is quite incredible.”
One mum said: “I remember being really excited to see them and it’s nice to see them again and now bring my child to see them.”
The bears join Meadowhall’s strong Christmas line-up - designed to “surprise and delight” visitors – which includes a Christmas Cirque outside Next and Primark, with acrobats, jugglers and aerialists performing live, as well as in pop-up shows around the malls.