A sighting of ‘Father Christmas’ brought a smile to the face of shoppers in Petersfield today (December 15).
In a busy Marks and Spencer in the High Street, the big man in red was causing quite a stir.
Children were astonished to see ‘Santa’ sitting by the check-out tills waiting for ‘Mrs Christmas’, and shoppers stopped to chat.
“They often say to me ‘I hope you have got my list’, he said. “I reply that, yes, it was all going very well until ‘that incident’, and that gets them thinking, as everyone has had an incident. It’s a bit of fun.”
With his full white beard, red jumper and scarf, he certainly looked the part – and his name was Nick.
Not St Nick, but plain Nick Hall (75), who grew up in Petersfield, when his family fled the wartime bombing of Portsmouth, but now lives in Southsea.
“People do do a double take when they see me. I try to be colourful and it’s nice to be able to bring a smile to people’s faces especially when the news is so terrible."