Going to see Father Christmas - memories?

I think this was when I went to see Santa at Lewis’s in Birmingham.

I went to see him in Curry’s.

I was given a sewing basket, it was pink wicker.

It was quilted in the lid when you lifted it up, and had cotton, needles etc inside.

Sadly, I always hated sewing and needlework!

I sold it at a car boot sale .

Our local CoOp store had a sleigh ride that children went on to visit Father Christmas. I remember being taken aged about 5 or 6 it was magical and I got a doll for a present. I only went once as Father Christmas used to visit the Christmas party at my Dads works and we usually got selection boxes.
Apparently the Coop had dozens of these made for stores all over the country but now only 3 remain and one has been restored and is a Christmas ride to Father Christmas at our local transport museum. It’s very popular.

MayBee70

I think this was when I went to see Santa at Lewis’s in Birmingham.

😁 I have a photo of me sitting on Muffin the Mule on Hove seafront!

-Father Christmas in Clearwell Caves.-

I took my daughter when she was little. It was magical.

I don't remember ever going to see Santa in a grotto, but I took my own children one year and they loved it.
But I was a bit startled when Santa looked at me and said "Ho ho ho" and then my Christian name.
Turned out that Santa was Mr. Thomas who lived a few doors down from our house when I was a child.

Beechnut

-Father Christmas in Clearwell Caves.-

I took my daughter when she was little. It was magical.

I don't think I can persuade my teenage DGC to go again this year. I have a photo of them, one sitting next to Father Christmas, looking very happy and the other gazing in awe at him!

My older sister was married and lived in Kilburn. I was about 14 and had a younger brother of four (we were a very spread out family)! My parents and I took my brother to see FC at a department store in Kilburn. They went in with him and I waited outside. He came out loaded with presents, toy cars and various other things. We were all really surprised and my Dad said the guy must have thought he was really Father Christmas. He surely couldn’t have been that generous with all the children!

1summer
The only visit to Father Christmas I remember was the sleigh ride in the Co-op department store. It was absolutely magical. I was a logical and sceptical child and I guessed that the sleigh wasn’t really flying, that pictures were moving past the windows, but it was so exciting I didn’t care. I don’t remember FC at all or the gift but I’d love to visit that Transport Museum and go on the sleigh ride again.

Oh yes. Rattling around the three main department stores in our town and seeing three different Father Christmas's all on the same Saturday.

It didn't seem at all odd.

We took our daughter to see FC when she was about 3 1\2 and he asked her if she knew any songs. She started to sing Away In A Manger, as she sang the second line he said That's lovely, but she said I haven't finished, and completed the verse at which point he said You sing beautifully, but her response was There's more, and sang the second verse at which point we managed to remove her otherwise she would have sung the lot!

I think I must have been about six when I was taken to seem Father Christmas. I think it was Selfridges. The whole thing was awful, being shepherded in to meet a complete stranger in a red suit. If he asked me what I wanted I will probably have said a pony. What I got from him was a skipping rope - I hated skipping. I don't know why my parents thought it was a good idea to take me. They knew I didn't do strange people.

I don’t think I ever went to a FC in a store well I have no memory of it but it was just after the war I do remember going to my grandads works party a few times and there was a FC giving out little presents there.
I m sure I took my own children although nothing stands out to remember and no photos but I have lots of photos of the grandchildren going through tunnels etc and sitting on Santas knees etc

This was a lovely wee clip from a few years back

www.bbc.co.uk/archive/christmas_children_meeting_santa/zfrj8xs

My DM once told me that her own mother used to take her own children (DM was one of 5) plus dcs of neighbours, on the train into central London to see FC. They lived in what was then still a largely countrified area of Herts - a 2 mile walk each way to the station! This would have been in the 1920s.

They were fairly comfortably off by the standards of the time, so presumably she could afford it. My GF had a car, but it was only ever used for his own purposes.

We did not typically go to see mall* Santas (I live in Canada so it would be going to see Santa rather than going to see Father Christmas), but every year we attended my father's works children's Christmas party. One of the staff members would dress up as Santa and come in partway through the party. Each child would have a chance to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what they wanted for Christmas, and he would give them a paper bag that usually had a Christmas (mandarin) orange and some sweets.

Once we kids were grown, my father reportedly played Santa at the party a couple of times, and it was something he really enjoyed.

*Mall is the North American term for a shopping center that's under a single roof, just in case anyone isn't familiar.

My Dad took my brother and me to Selfridge’s to see Father Christmas. I also had an Uncle Holly badge. It was disappointing for me. When my brother and I went to collect our gifts, the lady behind the counter said “Two boys, is it?” I had my hair tied back and we were wearing identical navy blue anoraks, but I’m not making excuses for her. I said “I’m a girl”; we were given our presents - a brush, comb and mirror set, almost identical to one I already had.

Thinking back, it must have cost a fair bit of money, and we weren’t well off - Dad was quite chuffed to be taking us. It felt like a treat, even though it fell short.

I have some hazy memories of wearing an itchy wool dress and going to Santa's Grotto in a department store .
I didn't enjoy it .
I felt intimidated by him !

I remember going to "Shepherds of Gateshead" with my father and soon to be step-mother for the Santa Grotto.

"Shepherds of Gateshead, the biggest and the best
There's so much to see and the carpark is free
Come shopping in Shepherds for the whole family".

I still remember the jingle!

here was also a Binns in Sunderland with monkeys in a cage??