Many years ago when I was a partner in a furniture store we decided to have a Father Christmas grotto and to make it easier we gave him a swivel recliner chair to sit in.
The idea behind this was that it would make it easier for him to turn to the side to get the presents for the little children that visited him. My partner built the grotto that we used he was a very good carpenter and joiner and made a really good job of it and even built a big sledge which we told the children Father Christmas used each day to come to see them and then to go home on in the evening so he had plenty of practice for when he had to deliver their presents on Christmas night.
We put a lot of time and effort into it and went out and got presents we thought would be suitable and wrapped those for girls in one coloured paper and those for boys in another colour, to be even more careful we had a sack onside for the boys presents and another the other side for the girls parcels. This was another reason why the swivel recliner chair was such a good idea!
A gentleman in his 70’s agreed to be our Father christmas and we hired the whole out fit for him red coat with the white trimming and hood and matching trouser even the boots and of course not to forget the beard. He came and tried it on and really looked the part and everything was all set to go!
The Grotto and Father Christmases attendance for every Thursday Friday and Saturday in the December run up to Christmas was advertised in several local papers and it turned out we where the only store having Father Christmas come to visit that year in Crewe, everything was ready and we had even offered any profit to a local children’s charity. Then disaster struck! The night before the first day the grotto was to open our Father Christmas collapsed and was rushed into hospital, fortunately after a few nights stay he was released but obviously not fit enough to take up his role!
So we had a dilemma, where at such short notice do you get a replacement Father Christmas? So we decided it had to be one of the two business partners, as my partner was about 6’4″ tall and as thin a a rake and I was 5’9″ and slightly on the tubby side there did not seem to be much choice and by default I was volunteered ! Getting into my outfit that first day I felt very self conscious but there was a job to do and kids waiting and my partner and all the others in the store and from all the neighboring shops taking the ‘mickey’. however once I got into it the kids seemed to believe and it was fun.
The first week was very busy and went quickly but the Thursday of the second week started so slowly that Father Christmas (still me) went outside the front door of the shop ringing his bell and going Ho Ho Ho, this seemed to be a good idea and attracted attention evening get my picture in the local paper and so the kids kept coming but getting into the part I went outside half an hour earlier and did my ringing my bell and Ho ho ho routine every Thursday Friday and Saturday. Much to the amusement of my colleagues at work.
The pay back came though because of a restaurant across the road which in the week before Christmas did lunches for office staff from around the town and suddenly lots and lots of young ladies approached Father Christmas in fun before their lunches and afterwards when they had taken of the odd glass or two wanted to come and cuddle and kiss Father Christmas, a great reward for all of my hard work and suddenly my partner wanted his turn in the outfit but no chance! Santa’s revenge!
You see it can be good being Father Christmas even in a Swivel Recliner Chair.
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