Dad who ordered an inflatable Christmas Grinch for his daughter, seven, reveals family’s shock when it turned out to be taller than their HOUSE
- Ray Liddell who lives in Hartlepool, County Durham, bought an inflatable Grinch
- However, Liddell, 49, had no idea it would inflate to the size that it did
- The 35-feet Dr Seuss character has attracted over 5,000 visitors to his home
- He has raised more than £8,000 by asking for donations to see the decoration
A generous father who spent £500 on a Grinch decoration to surprise his daughter was stunned to discover that it was higher than his two-storey family home when inflated.
Ray Liddell, 49, who lives in Hartlepool, County Durham, purchased an inflatable Grinch decoration to surprise his seven-year-old daughter Jasmine.
However, he failed to check the size before ordering and was stunned to discover it extended some 35 feet above his home and is twice as tall as a giraffe.
There’s an upside though, the businessman has attracted over 5,000 visitors since placing the Dr Seuss character in his front garden.
Ray Liddell who lives in Hartlepool, County Durham, was stunned to discover the Grinch inflatable he ordered for his daughter is larger than his house. Pictured: Ray, Jenna, Jasmine and Olivia Liddell in front of the 35-foot tall inflatable Grinch outside their home
Photos of the giant Grinch have been widely shared on social media and families have travelled as far as 40 miles from Morpeth, Northumberland, to catch a glimpse of it and take snaps of their own.
Father-of-two, Ray said: ‘It’s a total picture of positivity. People are coming from all over to have their photos taken.
‘There was a queue on Sunday morning. I made sure everyone was socially distanced. I reckon we must have had over 5,000 people visit.
‘It’s been a real marvel so far.
‘I only ordered it for my daughter as she loves Grinch. I was delighted with her reaction, let alone that of strangers.
‘Jasmine was just screaming at it like crazy when it was all blown up.’
Ray has asked visitors to donate money to charity and has so far raised more than £8,000 for the good cause.
Having attracted over 5,000 visitors to see the giant inflatable, Ray is asking for donations for Alice House Hospice. Pictured: The 35-foot tall inflatable Grinch outside Ray Liddell’s home
His father Frank died of Covid-19 in May and so proceeds are being sent to Alice House Hospice, which cared for him in Hartlepool.
‘He had a happy life because he had quite a simple life. You never saw him made angry or upset. He was a decent fellow.
‘I had always wanted to do something for the hospice but never thought it would be something like this. I thought it would be something simple like a raffle.
‘I wanted this to be ambitious but I was staggered at how much and how quickly these strangers were donating. It really has snowballed.
‘It has been good in some many ways. My kids love the decoration and also it is providing a great way to raise money for this great charity.’
Alice House has seen a drop in donations as a result of fundraising activities being cancelled during the pandemic.
Ray said his children love the decoration and he has always wanted to do something for the hospice who cared for his father. Pictured: The inflatable Grinch
To find out more to to donate to the hospice, visit the campaign page – https://justgiving.com/campaign/GrowYourHart?fbclid=IwAR0IJRN_RN8b-Ukijkr3kzjzojchbt8-0qJAuGl1hFPzS_l1uhvQkyPDUEU