Stoke City made an early January transfer window trade by sending their mascot Pottermus on a short loan to Bannockburn Primary School to fulfil the school’s Christmas wishes for their carol concert.
Nursery children at the Stirling primary had searched far and wide for a hippo companion to help them perform their chosen Christmas song, ‘I want a Hippopotamus for Christmas’, but sadly came up short.
That was until school admin assistant Jenny Milne reached out – way out – to Stoke City, who were only too happy to offer their services and make the Christmas wishes of the school’s youngest pupils come true.
Bannockburn Primary School Acting Headteacher Aileen Mellor said: “This whole turn of events has truly been magical and it’s quite hard to believe.
“The children all said they wanted a real life hippo to be there for when they sang their song – that’s all they wanted – but it looked like our luck was out.
“When Jenny then sent the message to Stoke, none of us thought for a second we’d even get a reply but to have them send Pottermus all the way up to Stirling to answer the children’s request is just amazing. It’s a true heart-warming story for Christmas.”
Stoke City’s mascot takes its name from the club’s nickname The Potters, which dates back to the once thriving pottery trade in the local area.
Pottermus started his special Christmas mission on Thursday, taking the 260-mile trip up the M6 to the heart of Scotland ahead of the weekend clash with Aston Villa on Saturday.
The Stoke City fan favourite then spent some time taking in the famous sights of Stirling including the Castle, National Wallace Monument and some of the City centre’s local shops and restaurants.
On Friday he then traded the terraces for the unfamiliar surroundings of the classroom but slotted into position perfectly, bringing some welcomed Christmas cheer to pupils, parents and staff at the school.
Adrian Hurst, Head of Community at the EFL Championship Club, said: “When we heard that the children of Bannockburn Primary School were on the hunt for a hippo to appear in their Christmas concerts we knew we could possibly help.
“Pottermus usually takes starring roles at our home games and at events in and around Stoke-on-Trent but he’s delighted to be heading slightly further afield to help spread some Christmas cheer.
“We pride ourselves on being a community club and we hope the children enjoying meeting Pottermus and enjoy his performance in the concerts.”
Susan McGill, Stirling Council’s Convener for the Children and Young People Committee, said: “This is a fantastic feel-good story and you could see what it meant to the children to have the hippo there when they sang their song.
“A huge well done to Stoke City for getting into the festive spirit by sending up their mascot and really making it a special Christmas celebration for the children.”
Stirling Council Provost Christine Simpson said: “Having the hippo there was a brilliant surprise for the children and it was wonderful to see them singing their song with such enthusiasm and joy in front of their parents and families.
“A very big thank you to Stoke for delivering the children the perfect early Christmas gift and to Bannockburn Primary for inviting me to attend their carol concert.”
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Provost, Teachers, Pottermus and Nursery Children (0) -
Pottermus and Nursery Children (1) -
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