Designer's 'Magical Journey' Closes For Good

Twitter users had described the magical journey as having "no Xmas spirit"

A widely criticised Christmas experience created by TV star Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen shuts its doors after a backer pulls out.

A Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen-designed Christmas experience is closing early, just weeks after it was widely criticised.

The Magical Journey experience at the Belfry Hotel, near Sutton Coldfield, Birmingham, had originally closed just a day after it was originally launched in late November but later reopened after a series of "improvements".
On Monday it closed for good after a major financial backer pulled out with nine opening days left.
The organisers said they had been "left in the lurch" and could not find a replacement backer.

Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen

The celebrity interior designer told the Press Association he was "extremely surprised" after finding out on Twitter his experience had been shut down.
Mr Llewelyn-Bowen, who shot to fame on BBC's Changing Rooms, said he had not given any financial support to the project and was unaware who the backer was.
He said: "It's absolutely shocking. We found out by Twitter. Everybody was in bed feeling Christmassy and now we are not feeling very Christmassy at all.
"I was really impressed with the way they addressed all the issues the first time around and the energy and resources that went into it so I'm extremely surprised the towel's been thrown in at this stage.

A photo taken from the Instagram account of the Magical Journey

"I feel appalling it is not the happy experience I really want it to be. I feel extremely sorry for everybody let down in the next nine days and also for the staff who worked on the front-line. I'm hoping they will get their money back.
"On a personal level I was so excited by the idea of designing Christmas."
He said in hindsight the group he worked with to deliver the project was not experienced enough for the type of event.
"I was just commissioned to create some design concepts for the experience," he said. "There was no financial backing from my point of view and no involvement in the management.
"I feel very much I was the designer and I'm a very public face so people are cross with me."

Another photo taken from the Instagram account of the Magical Journey

The presenter added he would be donating his fee, the amount of which he would not confirm, to a Birmingham children's hospice and said: "I do not want to make any money at all out of this experience."
A statement on the Magical Journey's website said: "We are really sorry to have to tell you this, but as of tomorrow (Tuesday 16 December 2014) The Magical Journey, based at The Belfry, Sutton Coldfield, will no longer be in operation.
"We are truly sorry. After all we've been through having to shutdown in the final week is devastating. Although we had quite the time of it in the press and on social media, feedback was great with over 600 four and five star reviews."
The website said that anyone who has bought tickets and wants their money back should use the Chargeback scheme.
The experience is the latest in a series of Christmas-themed attractions to suffer criticism over the last couple of years for providing poor value for money.