Christmas ‘Grinch’ dobs in grandad over sleigh rides, ending 17-year tradition
A Christmas Grinch has single-handedly stopped a Christmas tradition that has united a Queensland community for almost twenty years.
Every year for 17 years, Somerset grandfather John Barnes has offered sleigh rides to his neighbours and other visitors who travel to see him.
He built the sleigh himself and brings it out every Christmas to spread festive cheer – all free of charge.
"Last year I counted the people who rode in the sleigh and that was 2000 people,” Mr Barnes told 7 News.
But this year, the home-made attraction was shut down thanks to a village Grinch.
"Because of a complainant of us driving around the road by some unhappy person, the police have had to act and ask us to stop,” Mr Barnes said, adding that the officers were frequent visitors themselves.
"I think they had to draw straws on who came out here to talk to me because they themselves had been out here riding in the sleigh at different times with their children.”
Mr Barnes is devasted over the decision to shut down the rides – and so are his young guests.
"I look forward to it from the start of January all the way through to December,” one girl told 7 News.
"A few of the kids were crying. I cried a little bit."
The anonymous complaint wasn't the Grinch’s only effort to ruin Christmas in the village. Someone also cut some of Mr Barnes’ lights, forcing him to purchase new decorations.
But the Grinch hasn’t succeeded in disbanding the community. The neighbourhood is fighting to keep their tradition by thinking of solutions to the problem.
"It would be nice to find a way that we can, a couple hours each night, go around the street,” Mr Barnes said.
A wish on the Christmas list of everyone in the community - except the secret Grinch.
